Thursday, May 23, 2024 - Germany will arrest Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters the country amid allegations of war crimes by the International Criminal Court, a spokesperson has confirmed.
Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesperson for German Chancellor
Olaf Scholz, confirmed on Wednesday,May 22 that the country would 'abide by the
law' and arrest the Israeli leader should he visit the EU nation.
The announcement comes after British prosecutor Karim Khan
announced on Monday that he is seeking warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defence
Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas terror chiefs including Yahya
Sinwar, the ruler in Gaza who masterminded the terror attacks on October 7.
Netanyahu labelled the allegations a 'distortion of reality'
and accused the prosecutor of 'callously pouring gasoline on the fires of
antisemitism that are raging across the world'.
Germany's decision comes after Israel’s Ambassador to
Berlin, Ron Prosor, made a desperate plea to the German government to reject
the ICC’s proposed arrest warrant.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Prosor wrote: “This
is outrageous! The German "Staatsräson" is now being put to the
test—no ifs or buts.
‘This contrasts with the weak
statements we hear from some institutions and political actors. The public
statement that Israel has the right to self-defense loses credibility if our
hands are tied as soon as we defend ourselves.’
Staatsräson refers to Germany’s long-standing commitment to
the defence of Israel, a policy declared by former Chancellor Angela Merkel
during a 2008 speech to the Knesset.
Prosor added: ‘The Chief Prosecutor equates a democratic government with Hamas, thereby demonizing and delegitimizing Israel and the Jewish people.
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