Netanyahu will face arrest if he visits Italy. What about other nations?

Benjamin Netanyahu has an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court. While not all nations will act on the warrants, the threat of arrest looms over Netanyahu's potential visits to the ICC's 124 member states. 

In Short

• Arrest warrant against Netanyahu over 'war crimes'
• Italy said it is obligated to arrest Netanyahu should he visit
• France adopts a cautious approach, was non-committal on arrest

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has placed European Union nations in a diplomatic quandary. While Italy said it is obligated to adhere to the ICC's ruling and arrest Netanyahu, some other member nations of the European Union showed a more cautious approach.

Italy, a member of the ICC, has stated its legal obligation to comply with the arrest warrant. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto acknowledged that Italy would be required to arrest Netanyahu should he enter Italian territory.

However, Crosetto said that it was 'wrong' of ICC to put Netanyahu and Israel’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant on the same level as Hamas.

FRANCE AND GERMANY: CAUTIOUS APPROACH

France adopted a cautious tone, emphasising its respect for the ICC's independent work while stopping short of confirming any commitment to arrest Netanyahu.

"France takes note of this decision. True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice, it reiterates its attachment to the independent work of the Court, in accordance with the Rome Statute," Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said in a statement.

Lemoine described the ICC's warrant as a procedural formality rather than a final judgement.

Germany, another staunch ally of Israel, maintained its existing policies, including arms deliveries to Israel, unaffected by the ICC's decision.

HUNGARY AND SLOVENIA

Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, openly rejected the ICC's ruling, labelling it as "wrong" and offering Netanyahu a guarantee of safe passage if he visited Hungary.

Hungary currently presides over the European Union’s six-month rotating presidency.

In contrast, Slovenia pledged full compliance with the ICC's arrest warrants. Prime Minister Robert Golob confirmed Slovenia’s intention to uphold international justice, reinforcing its support for Palestine, a position consistent with its earlier recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said that implementing the ICC’s decisions is a legal obligation rather than a political choice.

Meanwhile, non-EU states such as the United States criticised the ICC, with US President Joe Biden denouncing the warrants as "outrageous" and emphasising unwavering support for Israel.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NETANYAHU

The ICC's arrest warrants significantly constrain Netanyahu’s international mobility. While not all nations will act on the warrants, the threat of arrest looms over Netanyahu’s potential visits to the ICC’s 124 member states.

Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin found himself in a similar situation after the ICC had issued an arrest warrant against him for war crimes in Ukraine. Putin and then avoided travel to South Africa for a BRICS summit. South Africa, as an ICC member, was obliged to arrest him had he turned up for the summit.

(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)