France backs ‘independence’ of ICC after prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Israel, Hamas leaders

Angela first of all just picking up on what we were Hearing in that report where would you say France stands on this issue and the United States I think it’s important to note that there has been no comment from the European Union as a block and that’s because the European Union is always slightely divided on this issue uh France as we heard there from Antonia supporting the ICC its independence and its struggle against impunity in the world but more or less trying to be evenhanded whereas the rest of the European Union broadly divides into two camps you have countries such as Belgium Spain Ireland who identify very much with the Palestinian cause and they have come out quite strongly welcoming this request for uh an arrest warrant whereas Austria Italy Hungary the Czech Republic have expressed strong reservations about the idea of uh putting a democracy uh in the same arrest warrant uh package if you like uh as uh Hamas leaders and that lines up with the US uh position which as Antonio said there of course strongly on Israel side they are outraged as the Israelis are saying that there is no moral equivalence whatsoever between Hamas and Israel what will be interesting is if the Republicans in the US try to force Joe Biden to introduce sanctions against the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court because that is what Trump did Donald Trump had travel sanctions on Karim Khan’s predecessor at the ICC that would put Biden in a very difficult position of course this even a request for an arrest warrant also makes it difficult for the US and its big uh supply of arms to uh Israel and Angela Israel clearly reacting extremely strongly did so in a number of statements yesterday the Israeli foreign minister now here in Paris what would you say the country’s current strategy is they are outraged and they have called upon what they describe as civilized Nations to oppose this because the ICC could never be described it simply asn’t possible given the nature of the Court as an entirely legal institution there is inevitably politics they are calling on what they call civilized Nations to Lobby against the idea of issuing these arrest warrants and civilized Nations to say if you do issue them we will not enforce them on our territory and this is very difficult because as Antonio said there for the first time the ICC would be issuing an arrest warrant against a western-backed democracy Now Israel says there is a reason for that and that is because uh Western backed democracy follows the rules of international law Israel says it’s following the rules of international law and its own institutions are robust enough to be trusted to invest investigate to try to punish anyone found guilty of serious crimes that is Israel’s position the ICC is in a sense trying to advertise its Global legitimacy and and it is threatened because on so many occasions we have seen sladan mosovich of Serbia we have seen Omar al-Bashir Sudan uh recently Putin never before has a western Democrat de democracy’s leader uh being uh their arrest being sought and how do you think this will develop then within Israel in the days and weeks ahead I think it’s fair to say that across the political Spectrum so far there is outrage in Israel they are appalled at this moral equivalence they see being leveled at uh the suggestion that they are on the same uh moral level as Hamas uh which conducted the October the 7th attacks and so even the families of the hostages who have been very critical of Netanyahu on many occasions since October the 7th uh have rallied uh the Israelis tend to close ranks on these sort of occasions that said this could feel be very problematic for netanyahu’s already dwindling chances of reelection because it would be very difficult for Israel to rehabilitate itself in the international Court of public opinion with a leader who has an International arrest warrant out against him it would also make it very difficult for him as a leader to travel to very many countries it’s true that the United States is not a signatory uh but 124 countries are and to have a leader whose travel is restricted is not an easy position so that could be a problem further down the line and it could be that damage to Israel’s reputation comes to be a bigger Factor than the closing ranks which we’ve seen in the immediate aftermath all right good to get your analysis Angela diffley for us there now

France backs the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the “fight against impunity”, its foreign ministry said after the court’s prosecutor sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders. FRANCE 24’s Angela Diffley tells us more.
#ICC #Israel #France

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36 comments

  10. Israel poses as a "western democracy". It simply isn't. It's more similar to Iran politically. It also practices Apartheid. Even the US isn't a real democracy. Just look at the polls, the protests, the majority wants a ceasefire. But the government is so corrupt with lobbyist like AIPAC, that it is now the United States of Israel.

  12. Wasn't Amal Clooney a part of a legal team that defended Saddam Hussein??

    ICC is where dictator go air thier grivances against democratic nations.

    Osama bin Laden used to say two things that I remember.
    1) You have to use democracies against democracies.
    2) You have to subvert democracy from the inside.

  14. Why is no one talking about arresting Putin for his genocide war on Ukraine. What about Genocide war of 1967 by European's and Soviet Union Against Biafrans? No one will talk about it because some human beings are probably greater than others.

  18. Supporting international law should be a given, but not for the hypocrites in Europe and America. For them, it depends on who is committing the crimes.

  21. Sure France supports the ICC and ICJ since it has provided the perfect justification for the latest mutating virus of anti semitism. No matter that the claims are unsupported by facts; it is enough to demonize jews by demonizing Israel.

  22. All talk was so gray and covering one side which is more worse in morality then any other living so called democratic authority on the planet 🌏

  27. I wonder if Jesus sat in a garden knowing all that he sees would later be in ruin his child hood home to see people break the heart of the law and do such things as is done today.. did he wish he could come sooner and take the children by the hand lifting them up into heaven away from mans evil ways..What about him he comforts he loves and all he asked of us was to love one another..yes he has the holy spirit and hallowed abba in heaven who he is with.. but what of Jesus who comforts his heart when he sees so many do these things.. does no one feel for him?

  29. Oscillating politics ! One day you are an ally, next day ally of the enemy…reflects poorly and will be a part of history

  36. Israel's war against Gaza is 100% legal and moral. The ICC is WRONG. In addition, the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israel. Since when do courts of justice globe trot around the world and pass judgements on conflicts they don't like?

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