Editing International Criminal Court (section)

===Israel===

In 2020, the [[+972 Magazine|+972 magazine]], based in Israel, reported political interference coming from Israel and the U.S. when [[Fatou Bensouda]], the [[Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court|chief prosecutor]] of the International Criminal Court, announced that "there is legal basis to probe Israel and Palestinian groups over war crimes in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip, and that her office was ready to investigate the matter". In 2018, when the Israeli government wanted to demolish the West Bank village of Khan al Ahmar, Bensouda explicitly warned Israel that doing so could be considered a ‘war crime’.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iraqi |first=Amjad |date=13 January 2020 |title=With international law under siege, can the ICC bring justice to Palestinians? |url=https://www.972mag.com/palestinian-experts-icc-justice/ |access-date=29 November 2024 |website=+972 Magazine}}</ref> The Israeli government's response was to publicly defy the court, describing the prosecutor's statement as ‘pure anti-Semitism’ in Netanyahu’s words.<ref>{{Cite web |author=ToI Staff|title=International Criminal Court probe of Israel is 'pure anti-Semitism,' says PM |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/international-criminal-court-probe-of-israel-is-pure-anti-semitism-says-pm/ |access-date=29 November 2024 |website=www.timesofisrael.com}}</ref>
 
''[[The Guardian]]'' reported in 2024, on the basis of anonymous sources, that Israel had conducted a nine-year "war" against the ICC. These sources alleged that Israeli intelligence agencies were used to "surveil, hack, pressure, smear and allegedly threaten senior ICC staff in an effort to derail the court's inquiries." In particular, [[Yossi Cohen]], director of [[Mossad]] at the time, allegedly threatened Bensouda and her family in an attempt to dissuade her from opening war crime inquiries against Israel. The anonymous sources are said to be familiar with disclosures Bensouda made to the ICC regarding the operation.<ref name="guardian280524">{{cite web |last1=Davies |first1=Harry |title=Revealed: Israeli spy chief 'threatened' ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/28/israeli-spy-chief-icc-prosecutor-war-crimes-inquiry |website=The Guardian |access-date=30 May 2024 |date=28 May 2024}}</ref>

In November 2024, after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] and former defense minister [[Yoav Gallant]] on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the [[Gaza war]], Netanyahu accused the ICC of [[antisemitism]], while Gallant argued the Court set "a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defence and ethical warfare and encourages murderous terrorism."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Netanyahu 'rejects with disgust' ICC arrest warrant |date=21 November 2024 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/netanyahu-rejects-with-disgust-icc-arrest-warrant/live-70838468 |access-date=6 April 2024 |website=dw.com}}</ref> In that same November, Israel appealed the ICC warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Israel to appeal against ICC warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm273g1jm51o |access-date=27 November 2024 |website=www.bbc.com}}</ref> 

In November 2024, France argued that the arrest warrants for Israeli leaders are not valid because Israel is not a member of the ICC.<ref>{{cite news |title=Is Netanyahu immune from ICC arrest warrant as France claims? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/28/is-netanyahu-immune-from-icc-arrest-warrant-as-france-claims |work=Al Jazeera |date=28 November 2024}}</ref> In that same month, then-Prime Minister of Canada, [[Justin Trudeau]], announced that [[Government of Canada|Canada]] would abide by the arrest warrants and arrest and deport Netanyahu if he entered that country.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=November 21, 2024 |title=Trudeau says he would 'abide by' international court and allow Netanyahu's arrest |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/trudeau-netanyahu-icc-arrest-warrant |work=National Post |location=Toronto |publisher=Postmedia Network Inc |access-date=May 19, 2025 |quote='We stand up for international law, and we will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the international courts. This is just who we are as Canadians,' Trudeau said}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mohamed |first=Rahim |date=November 22, 2025 |title=Poilievre blasts PM as 'extreme' for backing arrest of Israeli prime minister |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/poilievre-trudea-netanyahu-arrest-warrant-extre |work=National Post |location=Toronto |publisher=Postmedia Network Inc |access-date=May 19, 2025 |quote='He's calling for the arrest of the country that has been the victim of all of these attacks'}}</ref> Italian Foreign Minister [[Antonio Tajani]] said on various occasions that Italy would not arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu.<ref>{{cite news |last1=De La Feld |first1=Simone |title=European leaders’ support for Netanyahu and the defeat of international law: From Macron to Merz to Orbán |url=https://www.eunews.it/en/2025/03/31/european-leaders-support-for-netanyahu-and-the-defeat-of-international-law-from-macron-to-merz-to-orban/ |work=Eunews.it |date=31 March 2025}}</ref> In January 2025, Polish prime minister [[Donald Tusk]] guaranteed safe passage for senior Israeli officials, including Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to an event in Poland marking the 80th anniversary of the [[Liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp|liberation of Auschwitz]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Auschwitz: Poland divided on pledge not to arrest Netanyahu |url=https://www.dw.com/en/auschwitz-poland-netanyahu-arrest-pledge/a-71377468 |work=Deutsche Welle |date=23 January 2025}}</ref> The majority of the Polish public disagreed with the government's decision not to arrest Netanyahu.<ref>{{cite news |title=Most Poles disagree with giving Netanyahu safe passage to Holocaust memorial |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/most-poles-disagree-with-giving-netanyahu-safe-passage-to-holocaust-memorial/ |work=Euractiv |date=15 January 2025}}</ref>

Germany's CDU leader [[Friedrich Merz]] criticized the ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.<ref>{{cite news |title=Policies of German opposition chief and possible next chancellor Merz |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/policies-german-opposition-chief-possible-next-chancellor-merz-2024-09-17/ |work=Reuters |date=17 September 2024 |archive-date=18 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240918011748/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/policies-german-opposition-chief-possible-next-chancellor-merz-2024-09-17/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2025, one day after the [[2025 German federal election]], he announced his will to invite Netanyahu to Germany,<ref>{{cite news |title=Merz says Netanyahu will be able to visit Germany despite ICC warrant |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/24/merz-says-netanyahu-will-be-able-to-visit-germany-despite-icc-warrant |work=Al Jazeera |date=24 February 2025}}</ref> "as an open challenge" to the decision of the ICC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Merz will offenbar Netanjahu nach Deutschland einladen |trans-title=Merz apparently wants to invite Netanyahu to Germany |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/merz-einladung-netanjahu-100.html |access-date=24 February 2025 |website=tagesschau.de |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226042727/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/merz-einladung-netanjahu-100.html |archive-date=26 February 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In April 2025, Netanyahu visited [[Hungary]], a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC. During the visit, the Hungarian government's prime minister, [[Viktor Orbán]] announced that it would withdraw from the ICC, describing it as "politically biased". The withdrawal will become effective after one year's written notice. Hungary will join Israel, the US, Russia, China and North Korea among nations which do not recognise the ICC's jurisdiction.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 April 2025 |title=Hungary withdraws from International Criminal Court during Netanyahu visit |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c807lm2003zo |access-date=6 April 2025 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=3 April 2025 |title=Hungary announces plans to leave ICC as Netanyahu visits |url=https://www.dw.com/en/hungary-announces-plans-to-leave-icc-as-netanyahu-visits/live-72122213 |access-date=6 April 2025 |website=Deutsche Welle |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Jon |last=Henley | date=4 April 2025 |title=Hungary to pull out of ‘political’ ICC as Netanyahu visits Budapest|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/03/netanyahu-to-visit-hungary-as-orban-vows-to-defy-icc-arrest-warrant |access-date=6 April 2025 |newspaper=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> On May 20, 2025, the [[National Assembly (Hungary)|Hungarian National Assembly]] approved a bill to initiate the country's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking Hungary as the first European Union member state to take such action. The bill, introduced by Deputy Prime Minister [[Zsolt Semjén]], passed with 134 votes in favor, 37 against, and 7 abstentions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hungarian parliament approves withdrawal from International Criminal Court |url=https://english.news.cn/20250520/e4364fe3599d43c2ad066644e0c3ccee/c.html |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=english.news.cn |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-20 |title=Hungary Withdraws from International Criminal Court Amid Netanyahu Visit |url=https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/hungary-withdraws-from-international-criminal-court-amid-netanyahu-visit/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Ukraine news - #Mezha}}</ref> This move has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and may strain Hungary's relations within the European Union, where all member states are ICC members.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-04-03 |title=Hungary will withdraw from ICC, government says during Netanyahu visit |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/04/03/hungary-icc-withdraw-orban-netanyahu |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250404015922/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/04/03/hungary-icc-withdraw-orban-netanyahu/ |archive-date=2025-04-04 |access-date=2025-05-20 |work=The Washington Post |language=en}}</ref>