Netanyahu calls International Criminal Court Anti Semetic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Saturday after it ruled that it has jurisdiction to open a war crimes investigation against Israel. Netanyahu called the probe “pure anti-Semitism” and pledged to fight against it. In a video statement, he said, “When the ICC investigates Israel for fake war crimes, this is pure anti-Semitism.”

The ICC’s pretrial chamber had decided on Friday that it has jurisdiction to investigate alleged war crimes in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. The court’s chief prosecutor, Fatouh Bensouda, will now decide whether to launch an investigation, with a focus on the 2014 Israel-Hamas conflict, Israeli settlement policy, and the Israeli response to Gaza border protests.

The prime minister vowed to fight against what he called a “perversion of justice” with all available means. He accused the ICC of violating the right of democracies to defend themselves against terrorism and undermining efforts to expand the circle of peace.

Israel is not a member of the ICC, and the United States also objected to the decision, stating, “We have serious concerns about the ICC’s attempts to exercise its jurisdiction over Israeli personnel.” On the contrary, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh praised the decision as “a victory for justice and humanity.”

Hamas, ruling the Gaza Strip, welcomed any decision supporting the rights of the Palestinian people. The three-judge panel’s decision followed Bensouda’s 2019 determination that there was a “reasonable basis to believe that war crimes were committed” in the region.

The case now rests with Bensouda to decide whether to proceed with a criminal investigation, with expectations that she will do so based on her 2019 ruling. However, her term as prosecutor is set to expire in June, raising the possibility of a different approach by her successor. Israeli officials plan to discuss their strategy in the coming days, including the option of a shift from the current path of refusing to cooperate with the ICC.