{"id":1958,"date":"2025-02-26T15:58:38","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T15:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/?p=1958"},"modified":"2025-02-26T15:58:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T15:58:40","slug":"germanys-likely-next-chancellor-vows-to-shield-netanyahu-from-icc-arrest-warrant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/2025\/02\/26\/germanys-likely-next-chancellor-vows-to-shield-netanyahu-from-icc-arrest-warrant\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany\u2019s likely next chancellor vows to shield Netanyahu from ICC arrest warrant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.naturalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/91\/2025\/02\/Benjamin-Netanyahu-Speaking-Israel-Flag.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Germany\u2019s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, vows to ensure Israeli PM Netanyahu can visit Germany without arrest, despite an ICC warrant for war crimes and genocide in Gaza.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Merz\u2019s pledge defies Germany\u2019s obligations under the ICC\u2019s Rome Statute, sparking criticism from human rights advocates and political opponents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The ICC accuses Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes, including blocking essential supplies to Gaza, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Merz\u2019s stance highlights Germany\u2019s historical responsibility to Israel but raises questions about its commitment to international justice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Critics warn that shielding Netanyahu undermines international law and Germany\u2019s credibility as a champion of justice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Germany\u2019s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has vowed to ensure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can visit Germany without fear of arrest, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant accusing him of war crimes and genocide in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Merz, whose conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party won Germany\u2019s national elections on Sunday, <a href=\"https:\/\/thecradle.co\/articles\/future-german-chancellor-vows-to-shield-netanyahu-from-icc-arrest-warrant\">made the pledge<\/a> in a defiant move that underscores Germany\u2019s complex relationship with Israel and its commitment to international justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn the event that he [Netanyahu] plans to visit Germany, I have promised myself that we will find a way to ensure that he can visit Germany and leave again without being arrested,\u201d Merz said at a press conference on Monday. He called the idea of Netanyahu being barred from Germany \u201cabsurd,\u201d adding, \u201cHe will be able to visit Germany.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, in November 2024, accusing them of intentionally depriving Gaza\u2019s civilian population of food, water, and medical supplies during Israel\u2019s ongoing war in the enclave. The court cited \u201creasonable grounds\u201d to believe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/2\/24\/merz-says-netanyahu-will-be-able-to-visit-germany-despite-icc-warrant\">the Israeli leaders had committed war crimes<\/a> and crimes against humanity, including genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A defiant invitation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netanyahu\u2019s office confirmed that Merz had invited the Israeli leader to Germany \u201cin overt defiance of the scandalous International Criminal Court decision to label the prime minister a war criminal.\u201d The invitation highlights Merz\u2019s staunch support for Israel, rooted in Germany\u2019s historical responsibility for the Holocaust. However, it also raises questions about Germany\u2019s commitment to international law, as the country is a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the statute, member states are legally obligated to enforce ICC arrest warrants. Yet, Merz\u2019s pledge signals a willingness to sidestep this obligation, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates and political opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf Vladimir Putin comes to Germany, then this arrest warrant must be implemented. The same applies to Netanyahu,\u201d said Jan van Aken, co-leader of Germany\u2019s Left party, referring to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/election-winner-merz-invites-netanyahu-germany-says-israelis-office-2025-02-24\/\">ICC\u2019s arrest warrant<\/a> for the Russian president over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ICC\u2019s charges against Netanyahu stem from Israel\u2019s military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023 after Hamas-led militants launched a deadly cross-border attack, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel\u2019s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, with thousands more missing under the rubble and presumed dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ICC\u2019s decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant marked a rare instance of the court targeting leaders of a U.S.-aligned nation. The court accused Israel of imposing a \u201ctotal siege\u201d on Gaza, blocking essential supplies and exacerbating a humanitarian catastrophe. Scientists estimate that indirect deaths from disease, malnutrition, and the destruction of hospitals could push the total death toll to 186,000 or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Germany\u2019s dilemma<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Germany has long been a strong supporter of both Israel and the ICC, creating a tension between its historical responsibility to the Jewish state and its commitment to international justice. Merz\u2019s pledge to shield Netanyahu from arrest underscores this dilemma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics argue that Merz\u2019s stance undermines the credibility of international law. \u201cThe law operates on the basis of a presumption that people will obey it,\u201d said international human rights lawyer Jonathan Kuttab. \u201cThose who don\u2019t respect the law are themselves violating the law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Friedrich Merz\u2019s pledge to ensure Netanyahu\u2019s safe visit to Germany reflects the enduring complexities of Germany\u2019s relationship with Israel and its role in the international legal system. While Merz\u2019s commitment to Israel is rooted may be historical responsibility, his defiance of the ICC and support for <a href=\"https:\/\/genocide.news\/\">genocidal leaders<\/a> risks eroding Germany\u2019s standing as a champion of international justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sources for this article include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thecradle.co\/articles\/future-german-chancellor-vows-to-shield-netanyahu-from-icc-arrest-warrant\">TheCradle.co<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/election-winner-merz-invites-netanyahu-germany-says-israelis-office-2025-02-24\/\">Reuters.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/2\/24\/merz-says-netanyahu-will-be-able-to-visit-germany-despite-icc-warrant\">AlJazeera.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Germany\u2019s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has vowed to ensure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can visit Germany without fear of arrest, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant accusing him of war crimes and genocide in Gaza. Merz, whose&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","wpcat-1-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1959,"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958\/revisions\/1959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfawbn.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}