Israel’s Foreign Ministry is preparing its embassies around the world for an anticipated wave of global hate in response to a possible decision by the International Criminal Court at The Hague to issue arrest warrants against Israeli government leaders — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Diplomatic efforts to prevent the move by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan have allegedly failed, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported.
ICC arrest warrants based on accusations that Israel breached the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War in Gaza are expected to be filed against Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff LTG Herzi Halevi, the news outlet reported.
Such arrest warrants, if issued, could prevent Israeli leaders from traveling to European nations such as England, France, Germany and Spain, among other countries.
Israeli officials in the political and military echelons together with Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed all Israeli missions worldwide on Sunday (April 28th) to prepare immediately for a wave of “severe antisemitism, anti-Jewish, and anti-Israeli outbreaks.”
Due to the severity of the threat to Jewish communities abroad, Katz also instructed the embassies to involve Jewish organizations abroad in the need to prepare for such events, including coordinating the enhancement of security around Jewish institutions with the authorities.
In addition, the foreign minister contacted Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, who is responsible for combating antisemitism, to act on the matter.
“We expect the Court to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials in the political and security echelons,” Katz said a few hours prior to the start of the final holiday of Passover.
“There is nothing more distorted than attempting to prevent Israel from defending itself against a murderous enemy openly calling for the destruction of the State of Israel.
“If the warrants are issued, they will harm the commanders and soldiers of the IDF and provide a morale boost to the Hamas terrorist organization and the axis of radical Islam led by Iran against which we are fighting.”
Katz pointed out that Israel is fighting a murderous terrorist organization that has attacked its people and committed some of the most heinous crimes in history.
On October 7, 2023, thousands of Hamas-led terrorists slaughtered Israeli citizens who stayed in their homes and young people who attended a festival, torturing, mutilating, raping, burning alive, murdering and desecrating the bodies of women, girls and men alike.
“Israel acts in strict adherence to all the laws of war with a strong and independent legal system,” Katz noted.
Israel also allows and facilitates extensive humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza — an enemy population in which 70 percent of polled residents expressed firm support for the terrorists’ actions — in cooperation with international bodies.
This, despite Hamas using the population as human shields, attacking, and impeding the provision of the assistance to its civilians.
“We will not bow our heads or be deterred and will continue to fight until all the captives are released, the terrorist organization Hamas is defeated, and our residents in the south and north return to their homes in peace and security,” Katz said.
Israel’s prime minister vowed in a post on Friday via the X social media platform on Friday that he would “never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine” the Jewish state’s “inherent right of self-defense.
“The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it.
“While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression,” Netanyahu wrote.
