The World Reacts to Netanyahu’s ICC Arrest Warrant

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at which countries are choosing to defy the ICC arrest warrant for Israel’s top leader, Iran’s new uranium-enriching advanced centrifuges, and upcoming presidential elections in Romania and Uruguay.

Flouting the ICC

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed on Friday to defy the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) recent decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Orban accused the ICC of “interfering in an ongoing conflict for political purposes” and escalating regional tensions.

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Flouting the ICC

The ICC arrest warrants—issued on Thursday for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif—cite alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

For the two Israeli officials, the court specifically pointed to actions that were allegedly part of a “widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza,” including “starvation as a method of warfare.” For Deif, the court cited actions including murder, hostage-taking, and sexual violence. Israeli forces said Deif was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza in July, but the court was unable to confirm his death.

Under the Rome Statute, all 124 ICC member countries are required to detain any suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil. However, the court has very little recourse to address noncompliance. In defiance of the order, Orban added on Friday that he will invite Netanyahu to visit Budapest, making Hungary the first European Union country to openly ignore the ruling. Hungary is a member of the ICC; Israel and its top ally, the United States, are not.

“Hungary—like our friends in the United States—is displaying moral clarity and standing by justice and truth,” Netanyahu said in response to Orban’s statement. Netanyahu’s administration has repeatedly denounced the ICC and its chief prosecutor, with several top Israeli ministers describing the court’s decision to issue the warrants as antisemitic.

Hungary is not alone in rejecting the ICC decision. U.S. President Joe Biden called it “outrageous” and said the ICC should not equate Israel with Hamas. Argentine President Javier Milei also expressed his country’s “profound disagreement” with the decision and said Israel has the right to defend itself against the militant group. Unlike the United States, Argentina is a member of the ICC and would be in violation of the Rome Statute if it refuses to arrest Netanyahu.

Still, some ICC members have promised to back the court’s ruling. “Those responsible for crimes committed in Israel and Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of who committed them,” Belgium’s Foreign Ministry said. Brussels joined Canada, Ireland, Jordan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, and Switzerland to signal that it would detain Netanyahu were he to travel to their countries. The Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, expressed confidence in international law, and Austria—despite calling the warrant ludicrous—vowed to uphold the decision.

Other ICC members remain on the fence for how to proceed. France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom have not explicitly said whether they would detain Netanyahu if he were to visit their countries. Berlin, specifically, said it must take a closer look at the text, noting that Germany’s history with the Holocaust has given the country “a unique relationship and a great responsibility to Israel.”

Legal experts anticipate that the warrants could lead some governments to scale down their contact with Netanyahu and other Israeli diplomats. This could come in the form of cutting ties with Israeli institutions and defense companies or spurring efforts to bring new war crimes cases against lower-ranking officials. Already, the decision has caused a planned trip to Israel by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp for next Monday to be postponed, after he said that his country would comply with the ICC ruling.

Today’s Most Read

What We’re Following

Nuclear activity. Iran announced on Friday that it has activated new advanced centrifuges, expanding the country’s nuclear development. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the decision to activate these centrifuges, which will be used to enrich uranium, was made “to protect the country’s interests and further develop the peaceful nuclear energy, in line with the growing national needs” and that it was done in response to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censuring Tehran for failing to fully cooperate with monitoring and inspection requests, as is required under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The IAEA’s U.S.- and European-backed resolution passed late Thursday in a 19-to-3 vote, with 12 abstentions; Russia, China, and Burkina Faso voted against the censure. The resolution highlighted a recent report detailing Tehran’s efforts to expand its enriched uranium stockpiles, which IAEA monitors have said are close to weapons-grade. The vote was a way for Western powers to shore up the agency’s legitimacy ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump taking office in January. During Trump’s first term, he pulled Washington out of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal and reimposed U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

Looking ahead. Romania will hold the first round of its presidential election on Sunday to decide who should replace outgoing President Klaus Iohannis at a time when high costs of living and Russia’s war in Ukraine remain top concerns for voters. Left-wing Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and far-right leader George Simion are expected to make it to the runoff on Dec. 8. Whereas Ciolacu is wooing moderates who appreciate his recent governing experience, Simion’s opposition to military aid for Ukraine may entice Romanians whose top concern is the economy.

Uruguay will also hold a presidential election on Sunday. Conservative former Sen. Álvaro Delgado faces leftist lawmaker Yamandú Orsi in the runoff vote. During the first round of voting on Nov. 24, Orsi won 43.9 percent to Delgado’s 26.8 percent. Orsi’s Frente Amplio coalition has held power for decades, apart from a five-year gap after losing the 2020 election, and initial polling is favoring its return. However, Delgado is hoping to bolster his numbers now that third-place candidate Andrés Ojeda has dropped out and backed his platform.

Suspicious items. British authorities intercepted a suspicious package outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Friday. Law enforcement conducted a “controlled explosion” to remove its potential threat and vowed to carry out an investigation. However, London’s Metropolitan Police said it believes that it was a “hoax device.” The embassy has since returned to normal operations but canceled all public appointments for the rest of the day.

The same day, local officials shut down the south terminal of London’s Gatwick Airport after discovering a “suspected prohibited item” in a suitcase. The incident delayed dozens of flights and closed the airport’s train station for more than four hours. A bomb disposal team was deployed, and two people were detained during the investigation. It is unclear if the two incidents were related.

What in the World?

Between Sunday and Monday, two undersea telecommunications cables were severed in which body of water?

A. The Mediterranean SeaB. The Persian GulfC. The Baltic SeaD. The Bay of Bengal

Odds and Ends

If the adage that “you get what you pay for” is true, then this Scottish coffee may be the best cup o’ Joe in the world. A Scottish dairy in Glasgow is selling a flat white for $344. That’s more than purchasing the entire classic tasting menu at Spain’s Disfrutar restaurant in Barcelona, which Condé Nast Traveler called the top restaurant in the world in 2024. The double shot of espresso, topped with milk and foam, is believed to be the most expensive coffee in the U.K.

The costly cup is a promotional deal meant to boost an ongoing crowdfunding campaign to expand the dairy’s operations. In exchange for purchasing 34 shares in Mossgiel Organic Farm, investors get a certificate for the drink that can be redeemed at one of 13 coffee shops in Scotland that use the dairy’s milk. “We know it sounds crazy, but when you break it down, it’s a pretty good deal. How much is the future of farming worth?” dairy owner Bryce Cunningham told The Associated Press.

And the Answer Is…

C. The Baltic Sea

The incident has been allegedly linked to a Chinese merchant ship that the Danish Navy later surrounded, FP’s Elisabeth Braw writes.

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