The EU must arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters its territory, urged Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief.
He stressed that ignoring the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Netanyahu, ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Ibrahim al-Masri would undermine the EU’s credibility.
While Israel isn’t part of the ICC’s Rome Statute, the court has jurisdiction in Gaza, the West Bank, and 123 countries, including all EU states. Borrell argued, “You cannot applaud when the court goes against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and remain silent when it goes against Netanyahu.”
Although Germany hesitates due to its “historical responsibility” to Israel, nations like France, the Netherlands, and Ireland expressed willingness to follow the court’s ruling. However, Hungary openly defied the ICC by inviting Netanyahu to visit.
Meanwhile, Israel and the U.S. sharply criticized the warrants, reflecting growing tensions over international accountability.
