Israel asks Canada to drop its plan to arrest Netanyahu on an ICC warrant
Israel has asked Prime Minister Mark Carney to back down on his promise to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he comes to Canada.
Israel has asked Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to back down on his promise to carry out the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) if he comes to Canada.
In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Carney repeated his plan to keep the promise made by his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, to honor the ICC’s warrant. This led to the appeal. When asked directly, Carney said, “Yes,” when asked if he would order Netanyahu’s arrest if the Israeli leader came into Canada.
In reaction, Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesman for the Israeli government, told Carney to “reconsider” his position. He called Netanyahu “the leader of the only Jewish state and democratic country in the Middle East.” “We think that Prime Minister Carney should, of course, think again about this and make Prime Minister Netanyahu welcome in Canada,” Bedrosian told reporters.
Last year, the ICC put out arrest warrants for Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Israel has strongly denied that the court has the power to hear its case, saying that its military actions are legal and that charges of war crimes are baseless.
Canada’s recent choice to officially recognize a Palestinian state has made things worse between the two countries. Israel called the move a “prize for terrorism.” Bedrosian said that the award had “fed an antisemitic fire in Canada,” which made things even more difficult between the two countries.
Canada has been an ally of Israel for a long time, but Carney’s comments suggest that Ottawa may be changing how it handles Middle East policy. They show that Canada is becoming more in line with international courts and is ready to criticize Israel’s actions in Gaza.
