Israel looks to Washington to punish ICC

PRAGUE: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Thursday he believed the United States would punish the International Criminal Court for having issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister.

Israel has said it will appeal the ICC decision to move against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

But during a visit to the Czech Republic, Saar said other countries were also dismayed by the decision, including the United States.

“I tend to believe that in Washington, legislation is going to take place very shortly against the ICC and whoever cooperates with it,” Saar told a joint press conference with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.

Saar added that Israel would finish the 14-month-old war in Gaza when it “achieves its objectives” of returning hostages being held by Hamas and ensuring the Islamist group no longer controls the Palestinian enclave.

Saar said Israel did not intend to control civilian life in Gaza, adding that peace was “inevitable”, but couldn’t be based on “illusions.”