Scholz gives in to Israeli pressure, flips on arresting Netanyahu
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Scholz is contradicting himself on previous statements he made where he claimed that Germany would "abide by the law" if arrest warrants were issued for Israeli officials.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz takes part in a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Portugal Luis Montenegro in Berlin on May 24, 2024. (AP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to comment on whether Germany would execute an International Criminal Court arrest order for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, citing that no warrant had yet been issued and "Israel's" judiciary operated independently.
Scholz stated during a joint news conference in Berlin with Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro that "a chamber of judges will decide," when questioned about the ICC prosecutor's request for a warrant over "Israel's" onslaught in Gaza.
When evaluating whether to grant a warrant, judges "shall bear in mind that Israel is a democratic state with a strong and independent judiciary," Scholz stated.
Should the ICC's pretrial chamber issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, the court's 124 member states would be treaty-bound to apprehend the Israelis if they enter their territory. While the United States and "Israel" have not signed the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding document, many Western powers, including several European countries, are signatories and have expressed support for the ICC's autonomy.
When questioned this week about whether his government would comply with an arrest warrant for an Israeli official, a spokesperson for Scholz affirmed, "Yes, we abide by the law."
"Israel" afterward slammed the chancellor for his affirmation, as its government spokesperson Avi Hyman told Fox News that he recalled Scholz's visit to the occupation after October 7 when he called Hamas the "new Nazis".
It is noteworthy that it was Netanyahu who made such claims, not Scholz.
The Israeli occupation and US officials have not been shy about exerting immense pressure to avoid any repercussions for Israeli officials, going as far as to threaten the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan.
Earlier this week, Khan announced that he had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Minister Yoav Gallant, along with three top leaders of Hamas. Netanyahu and numerous other Israeli officials criticized the move, while President Biden and many US lawmakers condemned it. Other US officials are mobilizing to impose sanctions on the ICC.
Zeteo earlier reported that Khan received a stern warning from 12 Republican senators, threatening him with "severe sanctions" if he issued international arrest warrants for Israeli officials, the news website Zeteo reported.
Khan was warned that any attempt by the ICC to hold Netanyahu and his officials accountable for their crimes in Gaza would be interpreted "not only as a threat to Israel's sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States."
"Target Israel and we will target you," the senators threatened, citing sanctions on Khan's employees and his associates, adding that they and their families would be "barred from the United States."
