By Abiola Olawale
Indications emerging on Thursday, May 23, suggest that there may be a world political drama should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant against Prime Minister of Isreal, Benjamin Netanyahu.
This is as the administration of German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has clarified that it will abide by the ruling of the ICC, a move which may see Germany pit itself against its long-standing ally, Israel.
Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, when asked on Wednesday, May 22, if the German government would execute an ICC arrest order against Prime Minister Netanyahu for alleged war crimes during Swords of Iron, said: “Of course. Yes, we abide by the law.”
This comes as a shock, particularly as successive German governments had declared near-unconditional support for Israel as a matter of “Staatsraeson,” or national interest, in the wake of Germany’s murder of millions of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust.
It would be recalled that the prosecutors of the ICC on Monday, May 20, considered a lawsuit seeking the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister and Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, over charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The development had posed a quandary for Germany, which is a member of the ICC with a long-standing policy of standing behind a “rules-based international order,” and also has a good relationship with Israel that is grounded in history.
Should the court issue the warrants, Germany, like other ICC members, would have a legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu if he were to enter the country.
This also comes after Israel’s ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, had urged the German government to reject the “outrageous” ICC move.
On Tuesday, May 21, Prosor, who took to his official X handle, 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-defence loses credibility if our hands are tied as soon as we defend ourselves.”
“The Chief Prosecutor (of the ICC) equates a democratic government with Hamas, thereby demonising and delegitimising Israel and the Jewish people. He has completely lost his moral compass.
“Germany has a responsibility to readjust this compass. This disgraceful political campaign could become a nail in the coffin of the West and its institutions. Do not let it come to that!”
The New Diplomat reports that Staatsräson is the German word that refers to Germany’s pledge to ensure Israel’s security is part of its national security and interests.
