AMSTERDAM – Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof stated on Friday that there could be legal pathways for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the Netherlands without being arrested, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him.
This appears to soften the position of Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who previously affirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to cooperate with the ICC, including executing arrest warrants for individuals present in the country.
Schoof clarified that specific scenarios under international law might permit Netanyahu’s visit, depending on its purpose. For instance, a visit to an international organization, such as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), based in the Netherlands, could potentially provide immunity.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas leader last week, citing alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict. While all European Union countries are ICC signatories, some, like France and Italy, have argued Netanyahu holds immunity as a sitting head of government, particularly as Israel is not a party to the ICC’s founding treaty.
Israel has rejected the charges and announced plans to appeal the warrants, which stem from its military response to the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on southern Israeli communities.