«The ICC decision» to issue arrest warrants against the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the former defense minister Yoav Gallant «It has nothing to do with anti-Semitism and is not a political decision. I am alarmed by the extreme politicization of the reactions to the Court’s decision.” This was reiterated by the EU High Representative, Josep Borrellduring the Two-State Coalition Conference on the Middle East in Cyprus.
«I want to raise my voice in support of the International Criminal Court and remember that its decisions are binding for EU countries”, reiterated the Spaniard.
Borrell against the improper use of the term anti-Semitism
«There is nothing more cruel, more stupid, more unacceptable than anti-Semitism, humanity’s worst invention. But this word cannot be used in vain,” Borrell stressed.
«Anti-Semitism takes us back to the dark moments of our history and we have a responsibility that this does not happen again. But it must not be said that everyone is anti-Semitic: I am not anti-Semitic, the employees of UN agencies are not anti-Semitic. I have the right to criticize the Netanyahu government because it is a democratic government, just as they have the right to criticize any other government in the world. But criticizing the way he wages war does not make me anti-Semitic. The best friends of the Israeli people are those who remember that there is a limit to the right of defense. And these limits are based on international law and respect for human dignity.”
Criticism of the reactions and support for the ICC
«We supported the International Criminal Court when it decided to issue an arrest warrant against Putin: we cannot choose the decisions we like and those we don’t like, and we must ensure that the ICC is able to function without threats and intimidation”, observed the head of EU diplomacy, urging us not to use “double standards”.
«It has not always been easy to represent the EU in the face of this conflict. The member countries are deeply divided: just look at the reactions to the ICC decision”, Borrell said again, returning to appeal for the end of impunity “for all parties” involved in the Middle Eastern conflict.
«If there is impunity, there will never be justice. And what we see the International Criminal Court doing is working to end impunity.”