World News

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.

On May 20, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan made a shocking announcement that his office had requested the charging of Mr. Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar for war crimes and human rights violations linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

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.

Related Stories

Biden Admin and US Lawmakers Weigh In as ICC Prosecutor Seeks to Charge Israeli Leaders

ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas Leaders

Following Mr. Khan’s announcement, U.S. President Joe Biden strongly criticized the ICC prosecutor for bringing charges against Mr. Netanyahu.

“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.

“I don’t discuss court matters in Australia, let alone globally, where Australia is not involved,” he told reporters.

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.

The courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) building in The Hague, The Netherlands, on Nov. 23, 2015. (Martijn Beekman/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
The courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) building in The Hague, The Netherlands, on Nov. 23, 2015. (Martijn Beekman/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

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.



Source link

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.