Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested in accord with a controversial warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) earlier that day.
As Breitbart News reported, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza, which was started by Hamas, the Iranian-backed Palestinian terror organization.
Israel called the decision antisemitic, and the Biden-Harris administration denounced the ICC for the decision — though it was that same administration that reversed sanctions that President Donald Trump slapped on the ICC.
At a press conference, Trudeau responded to a reporter’s question about whether Canada would enforce the warrants:
First of all, as Canada has always said, it’s really important that everyone abide by international law. This is something we’ve been calling on from the beginning of the conflict. We are one of the founding members of the International Criminal Court, and International Court of Justice. We stand up for international law, and we will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the international courts. This is just who we are as Canadians. At the same time, we need to keep working to solve this terrible situation. We need to see aid flowing in to people who are facing famine [sic] and disease. We need to see all the hostages released. We need to see Hamas lay down its arms. We condemn Hamas for its continued actions. We need to see a ceasefire that protects civilians. We need to get back on track towards a two-state solution with a peaceful Israel living alongside a peaceful Palestinian state. These are the things that Canada has been working on, and at the same time we have to recognize as Canadians that it’s been very, very difficult for members of different communities in this country. We have to remember who we are, be there for each other, understand that people are angry and grieving, but remember that we are all pushing for peace and stability as hard as we can.
Trudeau repeated his remarks in French, saying that everyone needed to respect the decisions of international institutions.
He was wrong about claims of “famine” in Gaza, as well as about Canada’s obligations under international law to respect the decisions of the ICC; Canada could simply withdraw from the Rome Statute that established it.
Trudeau also mentioned the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where South Africa has brought a charge of “genocide” against Israel, allegedly after donations from Iran and Qatar to South Africa’s ruling party.
Ironically, the ICJ, while critical of Israel, has declined to find that Israel’s war in Gaza constitutes “genocide,”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.