CIP Welcomes ICC’s Arrest Warrants; Urges Countries to Assist

In response to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and senior Hamas official Mohammed Deif, the Center for International Policy’s executive vice president Matt Duss issued the following statement:

“We welcome the ICC’s issuance of these arrest warrants as a substantial step toward justice and accountability for the war crimes perpetrated against civilians in Israel and Palestine.

“As we said when the ICC prosecutor applied for these warrants in May, international law protecting civilians in conflict must be applied consistently and impartially. Enforcement of these rules is even more necessary today as we face the certainty that the growing assault on international norms and the rule of law will intensify upon Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency.

“We call upon all countries, including the United States, to appropriately assist the ICC in this matter – and in no case to hinder or obstruct it, including by helping those subject to arrest evade justice. We reiterate that while countries are free to argue any disagreements they may have with this move on the merits through appropriate channels, attempts to defame, delegitimize or penalize the ICC or its staff would be utterly inappropriate and must be condemned.

“We also reiterate our warning and call on the United States government to ensure it adheres to its own obligations under international law by halting the supply of offensive arms to Netanyahu’s government which have enabled the grave violations of human rights and the law of war alleged by the ICC.”