Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: from open sources.
France has changed its policy on the possible arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Following the announcement of the ceasefire in Lebanon, there have been numerous reports that negotiations are underway on this issue, as well as reports of diplomatic tensions arising from this situation. The information came from the news portal Time Ukraine Israel, with reference to Israelinfo.
Changing France’s course: post-armistice position
Initially, after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the country would comply with the decisions of the International Criminal Court, serious diplomatic disputes arose. Jerusalem reacted sharply to these statements: Israel expressed outrage that France could become part of the peace process in Lebanon. Amid these tense relations, France and Israel managed to find a compromise. France, along with the United States, agreed to become a guarantor of a ceasefire in Lebanon.
On Wednesday, in an interview with French radio Franceinfo, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that although France is “deeply committed to international justice”, it cannot execute the arrest warrant for Netanyahu, as Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute, which governs the activities of the Hague Court. Barro stressed that the issue of executing the warrant has not yet been resolved by the judiciary.
Legal doubts and international reaction
Italy has also expressed doubts about the appropriateness and enforceability of the arrest warrants against Netanyahu. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that there are a number of legal issues regarding these warrants that need to be carefully considered. Similar statements were made in Australia, where the country’s attorney general refrained from commenting on the possible detention of the Israeli prime minister.
Given these legal obstacles and the international support for Israel, the likelihood of Netanyahu facing trial in Europe is extremely low.
Potential appeals and the US response
At the same time, Israel is in no hurry to appeal the decision of the Hague Court. It is known that former US President Donald Trump promised sanctions against the International Criminal Court after his inauguration, which may also affect the course of further investigations and decisions of international judges.
Thus, the question of Netanyahu’s arrest remains open, but at the moment his legal status in Europe seems to be controversial. Israel continues to evade participation in international judicial procedures in an attempt to protect its national security and political stability.
