Borrell blasts 'war criminal' Netanyahu for Trump Nobel nomination
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EU’s Josep Borrell condemns Netanyahu for nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize amid Gaza war, calling both complicit in ethnic cleansing.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, hands US President Donald Trump a folder during a meeting in the Blue Room of the White House, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Washington (AP)
European Union Foreign Affairs Commissioner Josep Borrell sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, calling him a “suspected war criminal wanted by international justice” and condemning his nomination of US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Borrell’s comments came in response to Netanyahu’s announcement during a White House dinner early Tuesday, where the Israeli leader revealed his official nomination of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, describing him as the "greatest supplier of weapons" to the Israeli occupation.
Borrell remarked that this nomination was not only cynical but grotesque, noting that "a suspected war criminal wants to reward his largest arms supplier." Referring to Trump, Borrell said the US president is jointly responsible with Netanyahu for “the largest ethnic cleansing operation the region has seen since the end of World War II.”
Borrell urges EU states to respect ICC ruling on Netanyahu
Borrell back in November urged all EU member states to abide by the International Criminal Court's rulings, particularly the arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu.
Borrell told journalists, "We cannot undermine the International Criminal Court. It is the only way of having global justice," explaining that the court is not political but rather "a legal body formed by respected people who are the best among the profession of judges."
Though all EU member states have signed the ICC's founding treaty, France backtracked on its commitments to the court and announced that it would not detain Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant despite the arrest warrants issued against them.
France decided to retain the Israeli officials' freedom on its lands, citing "historically cordial relations" that linked it to "Israel", as well as the occupation and its own alleged "respect for professional and independent justice, and the integrity of the law."
Calls to halt arms sales to 'Israel'
Borrell earlier last year urged the US to halt arms shipments to "Israel", drawing a parallel with the situation in 2006 when international condemnation surrounded the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.
Borrell also criticized Benjamin Netanyahu's intention to initiate an offensive in Rafah, where numerous Palestinians sought refuge. Meanwhile, a Dutch appeals court mandated the Netherlands government to cease the supply of F-35 fighter jet parts to "Israel" due to concerns about their use in potential violations of international law.
“Netanyahu doesn’t listen to anyone. [He says] they are going to evacuate [the people]. Where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate this people to?," he told reporters in Brussels after a meeting with the head of UNWRA, the UN agency funding Palestinian schools and hospitals.
“How many times have you heard the most prominent leaders of the world saying too many people are being killed," he said.
