Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement revealing new information regarding the International Criminal Court's (ICC) controversial decision to seek arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, calling it a "travesty of justice."
"Last year, false charges of Israeli war crimes surfaced in the international media," Netanyahu began. "The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, said he planned to come to Israel to see things for himself. Before he came, he praised Israel's independent judicial system that investigates allegations of war crimes on its own."
According to Netanyahu, Khan cancelled his scheduled visit to Israel on the very day of his planned arrival and instead issued arrest warrant requests targeting the prime minister and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
"This opens the door for false charges against the brave soldiers of Israel, the United States, and other democracies who fight the terrorists that wish to destroy Western civilization," he said.
Netanyahu disclosed that months later, Israel learned the reason behind Khan's sudden change of plans. "It turns out that a few days before Khan's planned visit, a female member of his staff accused him of rape and sexual assault," Netanyahu said, adding that Khan feared for his career and sought to shift attention away from the allegations.
"He hatched a plan. He would divert attention from the charges against him by charging Israel and me with false war crimes accusations. The plan is simple: scapegoat Israel, rally the anti-Israel mob behind him, and thereby escape justice," he charged. Netanyahu added that another woman has since come forward with similar accusations and that Khan has been suspended.
Despite the suspension, Netanyahu noted, "his preposterous arrest warrants and his patently false charges against Israel have not been removed. They should be removed and removed immediately for justice and for truth to prevail."
The prime minister reiterated Israel's efforts to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza, stating that over two million tons of humanitarian aid—"one ton per person"—has been allowed in, much of it stolen by Hamas. He also noted that Israel has sent millions of messages urging civilians to evacuate, while Hamas uses them as human shields and prevents them from fleeing.
"These arrest warrants and false charges against Israel are a travesty of justice," Netanyahu emphasized.
He thanked President Donald Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio for their response, saying, "That’s why President Trump and Secretary Rubio have issued sanctions on Karim Khan and the other corrupt ICC officials for their malign activities. Thank you America for holding the ICC accountable, because if Israel is prevented from fighting terrorism, no democracy is safe."