ISRAEL Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he landed in Ireland, Taoiseach Simon Harris has claimed.
It comes after the international criminal court issued arrest warrants for the Israeli PM, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammad Diab Ibrahim al Masri.
The warrants were issued by the ICC over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the war in the Middle East.
Israel leader Netanyahu has labelled the warrants “anti-semitic” in a statement through his office which also said he “rejects with disgust the absurd and false action.”
U.S President Joe Biden – whose government supplies arms to Israel – called the warrants “outrageous” and said “whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas”.
Some 124 countries – including Ireland – recognise the international criminal court however, the U.S and Israel are not among them.
Taoiseach Simon Harris confirmed that Ireland would execute the arrest warrant on Netanyahu if he came to Ireland for whatever reason.
He told RTE: “Yes absolutely. We support international courts and apply their warrants.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said he believes war crimes have been committed in Gaza.
He told Newstalk: “We would execute it. As far as I’m concerned war crimes have been committed in Gaza.
“What is happening in Northern Gaza at the moment is absolutely horrific and it is resulting in the forced expulsion of a population from northern Gaza. The images we’re receiving of families being killed.”
‘IT’S GENOCIDAL’
Asked if this amounted to ethnic cleansing, the Tanaiste said: “We can get into language and so on that’s why the courts are so important.
“It is a collective punishment of the people. They are war crimes. It is genocidal.”
All members of the European Union are part of the ICC but there was mixed reactions to the arrest warrant from European leaders.
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban labelled the warrants “cynical” and “outrageously impudent”.
He said his country would defy the warrants and even went further to offer an invitation to the Israel leader to visit Hungary.
Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and France have all confirmed they would respect the court’s decision if Netanyahu were to visit their countries.
Austria called the warrants “ludicrous” but said they would be forced to implement them under the ICC.
Mike Waltz, who will be national security adviser in US president-elect Donald Trump’s administration, defended Israel and promised a “strong response to the anti-Semitic bias of the ICC and UN come January”.
