Opposition Urges Australia to Back Biden in Rejecting ICC’s Pursuit of Netanyahu Arrest Warrants
The Opposition leader criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for not standing up alongside President Joe Biden.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called on the federal Labor government to denounce an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor after he sought the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Simultaneously, he rebuked Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for not opposing the prosecutor’s claims.
Mr. Khan stated that his office had gathered enough evidence to proceed with the prosecution of the three individuals.
Mr. Khan’s appeal for ICC arrest warrants triggers a decision-making process involving a three-judge panel.
A pre-trial panel is anticipated to take approximately two months to review the evidence and determine if the proceedings should continue.
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“The ICC prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is unacceptable,” he stated in a release.
The U.S. president also dismissed any comparison between Hamas and the Israeli state.
“Let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence—none—between Israel and Hamas,” he asserted.
Despite Mr. Khan’s intention to prosecute the leaders of both Israel and Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the ICC lacked jurisdiction over the two sides.
He also refuted the notion that the ICC had a role in the conflict, citing other mechanisms for holding Hamas leaders accountable and reviewing allegations of misconduct by Israeli forces.
Australian PM’s Response
On May 21, Mr. Albanese stated that he would not comment on the issue of Mr. Netanyahu’s arrest warrants.
The prime minister emphasized that his government’s focus was on condemning the terrorist acts committed by Hamas while advocating for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“We have called for the release of hostages. We have called for a humanitarian ceasefire. We have called for increased humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza,” he remarked.
“We have stated that every life matters, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian.”
Mr. Albanese also mentioned that the Labor government supported advancing towards a two-state solution.
“That’s where we are concentrating, playing a role where we can in promoting the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in security, peace, and prosperity,” he stated.
Opposition’s Criticism
However, Mr. Dutton argued that Australia should “stand shoulder to shoulder” with President Biden.
“I fully support President Biden’s remarks today regarding the ICC,” he said.
“It’s outrageous and must be stopped. This action is anti-Semitic and works against peace interests in the Middle East.
“He [President Biden] has displayed leadership by opposing this comparison, which is completely inappropriate to equate the Israeli prime minister with a terrorist organization leader.”
The opposition leader also condemned Mr. Albanese for refraining from taking a position.
“The prime minister avoided addressing this issue today when asked, and when Australia was consulted by the ICC on this matter—they failed to express opposition, instead, they remained on the sidelines and remained silent,” he stated.
Additionally, Mr. Dutton accused the prime minister of damaging Australia’s relationships with allies by not demonstrating enough strength to stand alongside President Biden.
Ryan Morgan contributed to this article.
