Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has asserted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has filed a confidential request for an arrest warrant against him. In response, he has pledged to retaliate by intensifying operations against the Palestinian Authority and has ordered the evacuation of the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank.
Smotrich's Accusations and Threats
Smotrich described the ICC as 'antisemitic' and claimed that the court had 'submitted a secret request for an international arrest warrant against me'. He stated that he was informed of this on Monday evening, though he did not disclose the source or the specific reasons cited by the ICC. The minister vowed to counter these actions by waging a 'war' on the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank under agreements with Israel.
'The Palestinian Authority has started a war, and it will get a war,' Smotrich declared during a press conference, reflecting the Israeli government's anger over what it perceives as Palestinian support for international legal actions concerning the Gaza conflict.
Evacuation Order and Palestinian Response
Smotrich confirmed that he had ordered the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar, utilizing his authority as finance minister and as a minister in the defence ministry, with the aim of harming the Palestinian Authority. Senior Palestinian official Wasel Abu Youssef condemned the forced evacuation as 'very dangerous' and called for a firm international response to prevent what he described as further crimes.
ICC's Stance and Legal Context
The office of the prosecutor at the ICC declined to comment, citing the confidentiality of the process. The ICC has previously stated that its prosecutor operates independently and impartially when selecting situations to investigate. Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognize its jurisdiction, but the Palestinian territories were admitted as an ICC member state in 2015. This, combined with a ruling by judges, allows the court to examine potential war crimes committed by Hamas fighters in Israel and by Israelis in Gaza and the West Bank.
Prosecutors can submit applications to judges, which are kept sealed under new court rules. Judges must then determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe a suspect has committed crimes under ICC jurisdiction before issuing a warrant.
Smotrich's Previous Stances and Sanctions
Smotrich, known for his unapologetic pro-settlement and anti-Palestinian state views, stated that attempts 'to force upon us a policy of security suicide through sanctions and arrest warrants will not succeed'. In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence chief Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
A request for another ICC arrest warrant against a sitting Israeli official, if accurate, could provoke additional retaliation against the court by key Israeli ally the United States. US opposition to the warrant for Netanyahu has been bipartisan, and under the Trump administration, sanctions were imposed on 11 ICC judges and prosecutors involved in 'the Palestine situation'. Britain and four other nations last year imposed sanctions on Smotrich and another far-right Israeli cabinet minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Smotrich has called for the permanent conquest of Gaza and the re-establishment of Jewish settlements there that Israel abandoned in 2005, ideas that Netanyahu has rejected. He has also worked to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank, describing it as part of Jews' 'biblical and eternal homeland'.
