The International Criminal Court on Monday dismissed comments by Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who suggested he would invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Germany and find a way to prevent his arrest under an ICC warrant.
In a statement, the ICC stressed that member states are legally obligated to enforce its decisions and cannot unilaterally bypass its rulings. “It is not for states to unilaterally determine the soundness of the court’s legal decisions,” the court said, adding that any concerns should be addressed through legal channels in a “timely and efficient manner.”
The ICC issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes committed during the ongoing war in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Merz, whose conservative party secured the most seats in Germany's parliamentary elections on Sunday, had already extended the invitation.
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“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a warm conversation with Friedrich Merz following his election victory and congratulated him,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
According to the PMO, Merz expressed his support by extending an invitation for an official visit to Germany in what was described as a “blatant response to the scandalous decision by the ICC to define the prime minister as a war criminal.”
Netanyahu, in his own statement, said he looks forward to working closely with Merz to strengthen the Israel-Germany partnership.