Yoav Gallant

Why ICC going after Smotrich is a bigger deal than going after Netanyahu - analysis

Without major changes in Israeli policy, the arrest warrant against Smotrich could be Israel's darkest legal hour, with cascading consequences the likes of which cannot be foreseen.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem, May 19, 2026.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar speaks during a press conference with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker (not pictured) in Vienna, Austria, May 21, 2026.

Hungary reverses decision to leave ICC, Magyar announces

A PICTURE taken along the Israel-Lebanon border shows rockets being fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel on March 3, 2026.

Border residents demand Israel eliminate Hezbollah, create buffer zone up to Litani river

Attendees in the plenary room during the 24th Session of the Assembly of States Parties at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands December 4, 2025.

'We serve humanity, deliver justice': ICC judges, UN officials decry US sanctions


ICC spokesperson explains arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant

“If there are no genuine investigations or prosecutions, then the court has to investigate and prosecute where the legal conditions are met,” the ICC stated.

 THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court in The Hague: The ICC has shot itself in the foot, the writer argues.

ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu violate Rome Statute - opinion

Israel should appeal and insist the ICC drop the arrest warrants, to reinforce the fact that the Israeli legal system is functioning, not collapsing.

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a state memorial ceremony for victims of terror, at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, May 13, 2024.

Why ICC decision may mean European arms embargo on Israel - analysis

A far-reaching consequence of the ICC warrants will be difficulties in exporting arms to Israel because of the fear that they will be used to commit war crimes.

 PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confer in the Knesset plenum last month. Many Israelis are thirsty for a decisive Israeli victory and a long-term strategy in order to finally live in peace and without existential threat, the writer asserts.

Norway implies it will abide by ICC warrants issued for Israeli officials, foreign ministry says

"The ICC plays a crucial role in ensuring accountability for serious crimes," Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated. 

Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide addresses diplomats and journalists during a press conference in Chisinau, Moldova October 15, 2024.

Israeli officials condemn attempted attack on Central Command chief by settlers

Both Israel Katz and Yoav Gallant, the current and former defense minister, condemned the attempted attacks on Friday night.

 Israeli soldiers guard after an attack by Jewish settlers in Burin village, near the West Bank city of Nablus, June 18, 2024

ICC warrants are binding, European Union cannot pick and choose, EU's Borrell says

Several EU states have said they will meet their commitments under the statute if needed, but Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has invited Netanyahu to visit his country.

 European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell attends a press conference on the day of EU-Ukraine Association Council in Brussels, Belgium March 20, 2024.

ICC risks its credible reputation with warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant – editorial

Some will see the ICC's decision as reasonable, and that is exactly what will ultimately strip the court of its legitimacy.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant seen in the Knesset plenum, in Jerusalem, March 13, 2024

No 'outrageous' decision will stop me, says Netanyahu about ICC arrest warrant

Netanyahu called the ruling an "antisemetic step with one goal - to deter me, to deter us - from exercising our right to defend ourselves."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in public address after ICC rules arrest warrant against him on November 21, 2024

Israel's status hits a new low after ICC issues arrest warrants - opinion

The ICC's reasoning for issuing the arrest warrants amounts to a harsh indictment of Israel's policies in its war on Gaza.

 Israeli justice system (illustrative)

'Fueled by political bias': Jewish organizations, figures condemn ICC's arrest warrants

"The ICC’s decision not only undermines the pursuit of peace but also disregards the recognized right of a nation to act in self-defense when facing the threat of Hamas," WJC stated.

 REPRESENTATIVES OF families of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 pose in front of the International Criminal Court after submitting legal filings to the ICC, accusing Hamas of war crimes, in The Hague, in February.