Germany says it will arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in the country following ICC war crimes charge

Germany will arrest Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters the country amid allegations of war crimes by the International Criminal Court, a spokesperson has confirmed.

Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, confirmed on Wednesday,May 22 that the country would ‘abide by the law’ and arrest the Israeli leader should he visit the EU nation.

The announcement comes after British prosecutor Karim Khan announced on Monday that he is seeking warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas terror chiefs including Yahya Sinwar, the ruler in Gaza who masterminded the terror attacks on October 7.

Netanyahu labelled the allegations a ‘distortion of reality’ and accused the prosecutor of ‘callously pouring gasoline on the fires of antisemitism that are raging across the world’.

Germany’s decision comes after Israel’s Ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, made a desperate plea to the German government to reject the ICC’s proposed arrest warrant.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Prosor wrote: “This is outrageous! The German “Staatsräson” is now being put to the test—no ifs or buts.

‘This contrasts with the weak statements we hear from some institutions and political actors. The public statement that Israel has the right to self-defense loses credibility if our hands are tied as soon as we defend ourselves.’

Staatsräson refers to Germany’s long-standing commitment to the defence of Israel, a policy declared by former Chancellor Angela Merkel during a 2008 speech to the Knesset.