A Haaretz article said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has only himself to blame for the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against him and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, but as expected, the “man of principles” began to blame anti-Semitism and use it as an excuse to avoid responsibility for his actions.

The article noted that Netanyahu’s government has taken measures that have weakened Israel’s legal immunity, launched a campaign for years against the judicial system, acted without regard for international law in Gaza, and allowed settlers to expand their operations.

The article, written by Israeli journalist Yossi Verter, asserted that the formation of a government commission of inquiry into the events of October 7, on the advice of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, “could have prepared Israel to deal with the threat” of the court or even remove it, but Netanyahu, “with his usual stubbornness and arrogance,” rejected the advice.

Instead of taking steps to improve the image of the Israeli judiciary, he harnessed the capabilities of the government, the Knesset, social media, and parts of the media affiliated with the ruling establishment to criticize and defame the plaintiff, and the writer described the smear campaign against her as “one of the most despicable and dangerous phenomena in the history of the country.”

The article also described the government’s behavior on the international scene as “amateurish and shocking,” citing examples such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s encouragement of militias to “burn trucks carrying humanitarian aid,” and the article added that “the first person responsible is the prime minister, and the power is in his hands.”

The article also harshly criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the current crises in the Middle East, ignoring demands to manage the situation in Gaza differently, and not paying attention to calls to expand the powers of the prisoner negotiation teams and support them, and the article asserted that public opinion in the country had turned against him.

According to the article, all of these issues have increased Netanyahu’s tension at home, especially with his continued efforts to evade accountability for his actions, especially his trial in the corruption case.

The article accused the Israeli "dictator" of manipulating the families of the prisoners with "hollow words" and empty promises, and mentioned his assertion that "dozens of kidnapped" would soon return, without making concrete plans for that, which later allowed him to blame "Hamas' refusal" to reach an agreement to release the prisoners.

Source: Haaretz + Al Jazeera