Through a statement from the Foreign Ministry, the Government came out to question this wednesday arrest warrant against the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahuissued by the prosecutor of the Court of The Hague
“The Argentine Government expresses concern about the Prosecutor’s decision of the International Criminal Court to request arrest of senior officials of the Government of Israel,” stated the text of the Foreign Affairs portfolio, in charge of Diana Mondino.
The text states a position in which “in particular, Argentina considers the equation wrong and rejects it carried out by the Prosecutor between legitimate authorities of a democratic State with leaders of a terrorist organization responsible for brutal crimes,” in reference to Hamas, whose leaders were also the subject of the arrest request.
And then the Foreign Ministry adds: “Likewise, the decision calls into question the right to self-defense exercised by Israelrecognized by International Law and that Argentina claims“.
The statement continues with a criticism of the accusatory party, to which blames him for having omitted the investigation of the facts by the courts From Israel.
“Also, the Prosecutor seems having ignored the work of the Israeli courts dedicated to the investigations of the facts attributed to him, as well as not having given the opportunity the local judicial system to carry out its task with all the guarantees of the case”.
Finally, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “the Argentine Government believes that the attitude of the Prosecutor does not contribute to improving the situation in the conflict and, on the contrary, adds obstacles to the efforts to secure the release of the hostages still in the hands of Hamas, the arrival of humanitarian aid and a long-term solution to the crisis.
Israel’s response to the request for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu
This Monday, the Israeli government had called Netanyahu’s arrest request for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip a “baseless blood libel.”
From Tel Aviv they asserted that the judicial action “will not deter Israel from defending itself and achieving all its just war objectives.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, described this measure as “scandalous” and ordered the “immediate” creation of a special committee “with all the professional elements” to fight against this decision which, in his opinion, “aims to tie the hands of the State of Israel and denying it the right to self-defense.
