Netanyahu Condemns ICC and NYC Mayor Amid Arrest Warrant Controversy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a sharp rebuke against the International Criminal Court (ICC) and New York City Mayor Eric Adams following Adams' comments about potentially issuing an arrest warrant for Netanyahu during the UN General Assembly in September. Netanyahu's statement called the ICC a "kangaroo court" lacking jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis and described the arrest warrant as "fake," issued by former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan shortly before sexual misconduct allegations against Khan became public. The Prime Minister's office accused Khan of attempting to divert public attention and evade criticism by targeting Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with arrest warrants.

The statement also defended Israel's military actions against Hamas, describing them as unprecedented efforts to minimize civilian harm amid conflict with the terrorist group. It criticized Mayor Adams for focusing on what it called Khan's "criminal behavior" instead of addressing the damage caused by his policies in New York.

Mayor Adams had told The New York Times that he was exploring the legal authority to detain Netanyahu if he visits New York for the UN assembly, stating he was in active discussions with the city's legal department. Adams expressed his belief that Netanyahu is a war criminal as charged by the ICC.

The allegations against ICC prosecutor Karim Khan surfaced in 2024 after two former female employees accused him of sexual harassment and assault. One accuser, identified only as Sarah, gave a detailed interview to CNN describing escalating inappropriate behavior by Khan, including unwanted physical advances and late-night visits to her hotel room. Another former ICC staffer, "Patricia," also accused Khan of sexual misconduct during her internship in 2009. Following these allegations, the ICC oversight body suspended Khan pending investigation, with a vote on his potential removal scheduled for July 24, 2024, by the ICC's 125 member states.