Argentina Condemns International Criminal Court Warrant Requests for Israeli Officials

The government of Argentina questioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday for its top prosecutor’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Israel’s self-defense operations against the jihadist terrorist organization Hamas.

In a statement issued by Argentina’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the South American nation expressed concerns over the arrest warrant requests from ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, rejecting the ICC’s comparisons between the Israeli government officials and Hamas terrorists.

Khan requested that the international court’s judges issue warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas terrorist leaders, all of whom — without distinction between the democratically elected government of Israel and the Iranian-backed jihadists — stand accused of committing “war crimes” in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

“The decision calls into question Israel’s right to legitimate self-defense, which is recognized by international law and which Argentina claims,” Buenos Aires asserted.

“Also, the prosecutor appears to have ignored the work of the Israeli courts engaged in the investigation of the facts attributed to him, as well as not having given the local judicial system the opportunity to carry out its task with all the guarantees of the case,” the statement continued.

The Foreign Ministry concluded by stating that the Argentine government considers that the ICC prosecutor’s attitude does not contribute positively to the situation surrounding the conflict between Israel and Hamas and, “on the contrary, adds obstacles to the efforts to achieve the release of the hostages still held by Hamas, the arrival of humanitarian aid, and a long-term solution to the crisis.”

For 16 of the past 20 years, Argentina was ruled by socialist governments that pushed the South American nation to ideologically align itself with China, Russia, Iran, and other rogue regimes. Upon taking office in December, libertarian President Javier Milei conducted a “realignment” of Argentina’s foreign policy, embracing the United States and Israel as its top allies.

In contrast to Latin America’s leftist governments, such as Colombia and Brazil — and the authoritarian regimes of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, which have cut ties with Israel and accused it of committing “genocide” — Milei and his administration have openly expressed support for Israel. Milei has been one of Israel’s most vocal allies in the wake of Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 terrorist attack, when the gruesome actions conducted by the jihadist group on Israeli territory left more than 1,200 dead and hundreds hostage. Milei visited Israel in February, meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Netanyahu. The Argentine president also held encounters with survivors of the October 7 terrorist attack and with the families of the hostages taken by Hamas on that day.

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In April, Milei received the “Ambassador of Light” award from the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish organization in recognition of his support for Israel and “his unwavering dedication to spreading freedom, hope and positivity in the face of darkness” during a private event held at the Shul of Bal Harbour in Florida.

Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.