THE HAGUE — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday welcomed the removal of International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan, accusing him of political bias. Netanyahu said the decision reflected support from an overwhelming majority of countries.
Netanyahu claimed Khan's removal "exposes the truth," alleging the former prosecutor sought arrest warrants against him and former defense minister Yoav Gallant to "divert attention" from misconduct allegations against Khan himself.
Netanyahu described the ICC as an institution that "undermines justice, attacks democratic and sovereign nations, and seeks to subordinate their security to the decisions of unaccountable and corrupt officials in The Hague."
Netanyahu confirmed he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio the previous night. Rubio reaffirmed Washington's determination to act forcefully against the court.
ICC member states voted Friday to remove Khan over misconduct claims, following intense pressure from the Trump administration.
President Trump signed an executive order last year stating the ICC "has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel." The order cited arrest warrants issued in November 2024 for Netanyahu and Gallant.
The court's November 2024 warrants found "reasonable grounds" to believe Netanyahu bore criminal responsibility for war crimes during Israeli military operations in Gaza, including "starvation as a method of warfare" and crimes against humanity charges of murder and persecution.
Rubio announced sanctions on ICC officials in November 2024 following the arrest warrants. Last month, he announced a State Department-led "whole-of-government campaign" to dismantle the ICC.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia announced his government's "irrevocable" decision to withdraw from the court. Plasencia informed the United Nations of Venezuela's withdrawal, citing the body's "geographical bias" against countries in the global south.
The U.S. State Department welcomed the Venezuelan withdrawal, characterizing it in a post on X as a "partnership on American-led efforts to dismantle the corrupt and worthless ICC."
The Trump administration has previously leveled sanctions against ICC prosecutors investigating the actions of U.S. and Israeli militaries.
