Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof suggested on Friday that there could be ways for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the Netherlands without being arrested, despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant against him, Reuters reported.
Schoof’s remarks appeared to soften a previous statement by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who told parliament last week that the Netherlands fully cooperates with the ICC, adding, "We act on arrest warrants for people who are on Dutch territory."
During a news conference, Schoof explained that there are potential scenarios under the Netherlands' international obligations in which Netanyahu could visit without facing arrest, depending on the purpose of his visit.
"The most important thing is that we have obligations that come from the treaty (on which the ICC is based), and that we comply to them," Schoof said, as quoted by Reuters.
"In light of that, we would have to see how we act when the prime minister of Israel were to come to the Netherlands. There are possible scenarios, also within international law, in which he would be able to come to the Netherlands without being arrested."
Schoof did not specify what those scenarios might be but previously mentioned the possibility of Netanyahu visiting an international organization based in the Netherlands, such as the UN's chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, without being detained.
The Netherlands, as the host nation for the ICC, located in The Hague, is bound by its obligations under the court's founding treaty.
While all EU member states are signatories to the ICC's founding treaty, there have been differing interpretations of how to handle the warrants.
France stated this past week that Netanyahu has immunity from ICC actions because Israel has not ratified the court’s statutes. Similarly, Italy has argued that arresting Netanyahu would not be feasible while he remains in office as Israel's Prime Minister.
Outgoing European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has urged all EU member states to respect the decisions of the ICC, including the arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
"We cannot undermine the International Criminal Court. It is the only way of having global justice," Borrell said to reporters in Brussels at the end of last week.
Borrell’s comments marked the second time in several days that he has stressed the importance of EU member states enforcing the arrest warrants.
Last Saturday, Borrell told Reuters that EU member states cannot selectively decide whether to enforce the ICC arrest warrants.
Those comments came after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited Netanyahu to visit Hungary, assuring him that he would not face arrest.