Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday slammed the International Criminal Court (ICC) hours after The Hague court issued arrest warrants for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Calling it an "antisemitic decision" and "utterly baseless", Netanyahu said it is a "modern Dreyfus trial, and it will end the same way".
The antisemitic decision of the international court in The Hague is a modern Dreyfus trial, and it will end the same way. pic.twitter.com/e1l8PMghrB
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 21, 2024
He was referring to a wrong conviction of a Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French Army officer, for alleged treason in the 19th century.
Who was Alfred Dreyfus?
Alfred Dreyfus was a French artillery officer who was convicted of spying for Germany in 1894 due antisemitic bias. Following this, he was deported to the penal colony of Devil's Island to be incarcerated until death. However, later evidence emerged that he was innocent and the real culprit, a Catholic officer named Esterhazy, was nabbed. In time, it was revealed that the investigation was biased and the army's high command was aware of his innocence.
'We will not yield'
Netanyahu added that no outrageous anti-Israel decision will prevent his country or him from defend themselves. "We will not yield to pressure," the Israeli Prime Minister said.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri aka Mohammed Deif. In July, Israel claimed that Deif was killed in an airstrike in Gaza but Hamas has not confirmed it.
Calling it "a dark day in the history of nations", Netanyahu claimed the ICC has become the enemy of humanity instead of protecting it.
Netanyahu accused ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan of corruption, alleging that the warrants were issued in a bid to save himself from serious sexual harassment allegations. Khan has rejected the claims.
