France says Netanyahu has immunity from ICC arrest warrants
France says Netanyahu has immunity from ICC arrest warrants
France's foreign ministry has said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys "immunity" from prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC last week issued arrest warrants…
It said the Israeli leader was covered by immunity rules that apply to states which are not a party to the ICC. Israel is not an ICC member.
"A state cannot be held to act in a way that is incompatible with its obligations in terms of international law with regards to immunities granted to states which are not party to the ICC," the French statement said.
While this technicality may be true, it still seems like there should be a mechanism to hold people accountable for genocide that they don't have to agree to beforehand. Saying "oh we can't arrest him for crimes against humanity because he didn't already agree to be arrested for them should he ever commit them" is a diplomatic copout and a moral failure of the international framework.
Oh wow, I can be immune to law if I just don't accept the court's rule of law?
France really going hard with the sovcit arguments.
It isnt even technically true. The ICC has already clarified that this does not refer to the arrests of individual heads of states, but rather seizing states assets and the like.
I'm sure this defense was used at Nuremberg after the second world war - unsuccessfully.
Doesn't that let off every two bit dictator for the last 70 years
Let me play devil's advocate: who gets to say what is a human rights violation? And I am not talking about what happens on the ground, so put your pitchforks away. I'm talking about how it is defined in international law--what happens when a country like Russia and puppets defines gay rights as a human rights violation.
Point is, there is absolutely no way to get states to agree on any of this and if it was binding, then it is a power that can and will be abused for geopolitical points.
I think principles of law are only enforceable at a state level. Almost by definition of sovereignty. Above the state level, there can only be treaties and geopolitics.
You seem to misunderstand the concept of international law.
I'm talking about how it is defined in international law
There are various widely adopted treaties that give specific definitions for crimes against humanity. In this case, the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Point is, there is absolutely no way to get states to agree on any of this
And yet 196 states, including France and Israel, have ratified these conventions (fully or in part). 125 states, including France but not Israel, have ratified the Rome statute and thus accept the ICC jurisdiction. States agree to these treaties because of diplomacy: you get taken less seriously if you don't ratify these.
Of course, this system of international law breaks down when states flagrantly break it without repercussions, like Israel and France in this case.
What a fucking disgusting joke
I think when it comes to moves as flagrantly anti humanitarian as this it's important to name names instead of letting the particular spineless cowards hide behind the name of their country.
Thanks... What did this guy do? Did he get to unilaterally make this call? (Serious, I have no idea how France works).
I don't know a lot about him, I just took issue with the headline.
Dude what are you even smoking? What is “anti humanitarian” about respecting your democratically elected ally in your mind exactly?
The French have been very involved in the region, and part of the reason the current state of the Middle East is what it is.
Lay off the kush.
Someone can be democratically elected, yet then act to undermine those same democratic processes that got them there.
Netanyahu continues his ruthless conquest against Palestinians and Lebanese despite how unpopular it is with Israelis. He knows that he won't get re-elected, and when he doesn't he'll have to face the consequences of his actions in international court.
All you're doing with your comment is aiding and abetting a fascist, apartheid, genocidal regime. Get real.
Of course, What is more humanitarian than defending the head of a genocidal colonial regime? It is common knowledge that the most moral way to deal with undesirables is to kill them. Democracies are so great that they get at least three free genocide passes.
...
/s
"A state cannot be held to act in a way that is incompatible with its obligations in terms of international law with regards to immunities granted to states which are not party to the ICC," the French statement said.
Anyone want to take a guess what percentage of ICC warrants are issued for people from countries like that? I suppose, this being France, that they actually will protect some random African warlord as well.
Is putin immune too?
Of course he is. We are being governed by clowns.
All the fashy euros going mask off for fellow fash zios.
"No my hero is immune to that attack!"
Lame
It’s almost as if international law doesn’t really exist. There is no enforcement mechanism.
The ICC is an inept antisemitic organization with clear goals towards harming the only liberal democratic nation in the Middle East.
Liberte, egalite, fraternite
What the fuck is antisemitic about arresting a genocidal maniac? "Liberal Democractic Nation" is not how I would describe that settler colonial fascist state. A bunch of fucking smug, self-righteous, land thieves is a more appropriate description. Besides, the term "Semitic" to describe Jews in Israel is inappropriate. Most of them are of European or American origin. Semitic people or Semites is a term for an ethnic, cultural or racial group associated with people of the Middle East, including Arabs, Jews, Akkadians, and Phoenicians. Judaism is not a race, it's a religion (i.e. a cult, or more appropriately a "death cult").