Arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister generate divided reactions around the world

The recent decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant generated divided reactions worldwide.

The Biden administration, U.S. lawmakers and the Argentine government headed by Javier Milei, among others, harshly criticized the decision made by prosecutor Karim Khan and warned that punishing defensive actions against terrorism could set a dangerous precedent, while the Palestinians and Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, accepted the measure.

Leaders in Europe also spoke on the matter, although in some cases it was not clear whether they would honor the arrest warrants issued by the ICC.

United States rejects ICC decision

John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said his country "fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials," Reuters reported.

"We remain deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision," the spokesman added. He remarked that the U.S. is discussing next steps with its partners.

Milei: ICC 'distorts the spirit of international justice'

According to the Argentine government's official statement, this measure overlooks Israel's legitimate right to defend itself against constant aggression perpetrated by terrorist organizations such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"Israel faces brutal aggression, inhumane hostage-taking, and the indiscriminate launching of attacks against its population," the government chaired by Milei expressed. He added that "criminalizing the legitimate defense of a nation while omitting these atrocities is an act that distorts the spirit of international justice."

In the statement, Argentina reaffirmed its "solidarity with Israel," stressed that the Jewish state has the "right to protect its people" and demanded the immediate release of the hostages.

Likewise, the government of the South American country called on the international community to "condemn the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah, defend Israel's sovereignty and act with justice and impartiality in the search for a lasting peace in the region."

Paraguay: 'This decision is an attack on Israel's legitimate right to self-defense'

Paraguay regretted the ICC's measure. In a statement, the government expressed that "this decision is an attack on Israel's legitimate right to self-defense."

"Paraguay strongly rejects the political instrumentalization of international law and considers that this decision compromises the legitimacy of the Court, in addition to weakening efforts for peace, security and stability in the Middle East," the South American country's government said.

Republican and Democratic criticism of the ICC

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also lambasted the arrest warrants issued by the ICC.

On X, Graham expressed, "The International Corrupt Criminal Court has acted in the most absurd and irresponsible manner possible by issuing arrest warrants against the Prime Minister and former Defense Minister of Israel while there is a serious cloud of allegations hanging over the prosecutor who sought these warrants."

Graham also urged the U.S. Senate to act against the ICC and sanction "this irresponsible body."

He added that the court "defied every concept of fundamental fairness and legitimized a corrupt prosecutor’s actions."

Jason Greenblatt, U.S. Middle East envoy during the Trump administration, stated on X that the "ICC is a politicized, kangaroo court. 1 of the first things I hope that President [Donald Trump] does in office is figure out how to reverse this travesty of justice & make sure it can’t happen again. In the meantime, [President] Biden still has time to handle too."

Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres said, "The ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants against the leadership of Israel represents the weaponization of international law at its most egregious. The ICC has set a precedent for criminalizing self-defense: any country daring to defend itself against an enemy that exploits civilians as human shields will face persecution posing as prosecution."

"The ICC ignores the cause and context of the war. Israel did not initiate the war. The war was imposed upon Israel by the unbridged barbarism of Hamas on October 7th. Not only did Hamas wage war on Israel, causing the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, it carefully constructed a battlefield designed to maximize the loss of civilian life. None of that context seems to matter to the kangaroo court of the ICC, which cannot let facts get in the way of its ideological crusade against the Jewish State," added Torres, who also called to sanction the court.

Senator John Fetterman shared on X an image of a headline on the news about the ICC decision, accompanied by a message that reads, "No standing, relevance, or path. F*** that."

Palestinian reactions

The terrorist group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and perpetrated the Oct. 7 massacre, said, "We call on the International Criminal Court to expand the scope of accountability to all criminal occupation leaders."

The government of Mahmoud Abbas, at the helm of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, welcomed the decision and urged members of the court to implement it, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Justin Trudeau gave green light to ICC's move

Reuters reported that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to the ICC's move. "It's really important that everyone abide by international law," he said. And he added that Canada will abide by the rulings of international tribunals.

Reactions in Europe

Socialist Josep Borrell, top foreign policy official of the European Union (E.U.), an official known for his anti-Israeli positions, said the ICC arrest warrants are not political and that the court's decision must be respected and implemented.

Reuters noted that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokeswoman said the U.K. respects the independence of the ICC, although it was unclear whether his country will implement the court's decision.

As for France, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said the French reaction to the arrest warrants would be "in line with ICC statutes." However, as to whether his country would arrest Netanyahu or Gallant, he indicated, "It's a point that is legally complex."

Dearborn, Mich., mayor's unusual threat to Netanyahu and Gallant

Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn, Mich., the city with the proportionally largest Muslim population in the United States, stated that city authorities will comply with arrest warrants issued by the ICC.

"Dearborn will arrest Netanyahu & Gallant if they step within Dearborn city limits," Hammoud said.

"Others cities should declare the same. Our president may not take action, but city leaders can ensure Netanyahu & other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States," the mayor added.