Borrell urges EU member states to respect ICC decisions
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Italy and France have boldly declared they will not arrest Israeli occupation PM Benjamin Netanyahu on their soil despite a warrant issued by the ICC for his arrest.
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European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks during a September 21, 2022 press conference (AP)
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday urged all EU member states to abide by the International Criminal Court's rulings, particularly the arrest warrant issued against Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin 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 on Wednesday 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."
Italian Deputy Premier, Transport Minister, and far-right League party leader Matteo Salvini declared that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be warmly welcomed in Italy, despite the recent war crimes charges leveled against him by the ICC.
"I plan to meet with members of the Israeli government soon, and if Netanyahu came to Italy, he would be welcome. The war criminals are others," Salvini stated, dismissing the ICC's decision. He criticized the label of "war criminal" as "disrespectful" for "the prime minister of one of the few democracies in the Middle East."
Salvini's remarks come amidst a wave of reactions to the ICC's decision. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also rejected the charges, inviting Netanyahu to Budapest as a symbolic challenge to the court's ruling.
Orbán's invitation echoed Salvini's sentiment, signaling a growing rift between some European right-wing leaders and the international judicial body.
The arrest warrant against Netanyahu and his former security minister for war crimes committed in Gaza has intensified debates on international law and the role of Western leaders in supporting war criminals.
ICC warrants are binding, EU cannot pick and choose: Borrell
Borrell said on Saturday that nations cannot choose whether or not to carry out arrest warrants issued by the ICC.
During a visit to Cyprus for an Israeli workshop, Borell stated that EU states "are obliged to implement the decision of the court. It's not optional."
Those same commitments were imposed on countries desiring to join the EU, he noted, telling Reuters, "It would be very funny that the newcomers have an obligation that current members don't fulfill."
According to an official statement, the office of Netanyahu dismissed the ICC decision to issue arrest warrants against him and his former Security Minister, labeling the move as "anti-Semitic".
Visibly frustrated by the overuse of the "antisemitism", accusation, Borrell expressed that "every time someone disagrees with the policy of one Israeli government, they are accused of antisemitism."
He explained he had the "right to criticize the decisions of the Israeli government, be it Mr Netanyahu or someone else, without being accused of antisemitism. This is not acceptable. That's enough."
