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The International Criminal Court Reveals Its Moral Bankruptcy

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters in The Hague, Netherlands, Feb. 12, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

The shocking announcement by the International Criminal Court (ICC) that it has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is more than a perversion of international justice. It is an outrageous assault on the global order, and an attempt to destroy the leadership of free nations from within.

Never before has the international criminal system pursued the leaders of democratic countries in such a manner, as they are generally presumed to police their abuses through an independent judicial system. After these unjustified prosecutions, the world has taken a significant step backward from the diplomatic order that emerged after the Second World War.

In the first place, the issuing of these arrest warrants is a grotesque twisting of justice in the simple sense. Can anyone have forgotten why Israel found itself at war with the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the first place?

Israel unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005; two years later, in 2007, the terrorists of Hamas seized control from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority by force in a brutal coup. After years of biding their time, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a massive, Iran-armed invasion of Israeli territory, in which they butchered 1,200 Israelis and foreign nations, committed grotesque acts of rape and torture, and took 251 living and dead victims (including 12 Americans) back to Gaza as hostages.

Israel launched a war against Hamas in response; it is a defensive war, meant to ensure that the events of October 7 — the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust — can never happen again.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office rightly compared the ICC persecution to the Dreyfus Affair, a 19th century incident in which France falsely accused a Jewish army officer of being a German spy, leading to his long-term imprisonment and an outburst of antisemitism.

The disgusting reality is that the ICC emerged out of a process that began with the world community’s resolute decision to prosecute the Nazi war criminals who slaughtered most of European Jewry. Now, the ICC has perversely used its mandate to attack Jews seeking to prevent another genocide against our people.

Now that they have been issued, the warrants have real and deleterious consequences. The ICC itself has no enforcement power, and indeed, there is still an unenforceable outstanding ICC warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, many nations have already agreed that they will arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they land on their territory, which limits Netanyahu’s ability to travel and represent the Jewish State abroad. Notably, Vice President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, stated that the ICC ruling applied to all member states of the European Union.

More importantly, it makes Netanyahu and Israel itself seem guilty — although all objective evidence points in the opposite direction.

The United States, thankfully, has maintained a firm response, with a White House National Security Council spokesperson saying that the US “fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials [and is] deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision.”

Similarly, President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming National Security Advisor, Florida Congressman Mike Waltz, opined that “Israel has lawfully defended its people & borders from genocidal terrorists,” and pledged a “strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January.” Incoming US Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) warned that the Senate would pursue sanctions against the ICC and Khan if they “do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials.”

This bipartisan US response has been echoed by a few other clear-sighted leaders around the world, who understand the stakes.

The foreign minister of one EU state — Peter Szijjártó of Hungary — recognized that the ICC’s “shameful and absurd … decision disgraces the international judiciary by equating leaders of a country attacked by a heinous terror attack with the leaders of the terrorist organization responsible.” Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, noted his “deep disagreement” with the decision, which he pointed out “ignores Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense against the constant attacks by terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.” However, these brave voices are few and far between.

What would the consequences be if these warrants were universally enforced? Israel would come under a state of siege, its leaders unable to leave the country for fear of being incarcerated in a foreign land, in contradiction to the ordinary rules of diplomatic immunity. There would be many other consequences — but this symbolic one is very important. As in the not-so-long-ago days when Jews could not leave their area of many cities at night without breaking the law, the ICC is trying to raise a new ghetto wall around Israel.

As usual in history, the destruction of civilization may start with the targeting of Jews, but does not end with them. Just imagine if Iran were to successfully seek arrest warrants against the US president, or North Korea against the leaders of South Korea and Japan — and leading democracies vowed to uphold them. Now is the time for the US and other responsible powers to push back, and hard, ensuring that the ICC never again has the power to commit such abuses of justice.

Lizzy Savetsky works with numerous non-profit and philanthropic movements as an outspoken advocate for Israel and the Jewish people. You can find her on Instagram @lizzysavetsky.

The post The International Criminal Court Reveals Its Moral Bankruptcy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Iran Says It Has Replaced Air Defenses Damaged in Israel War

The S-300 missile system is seen during the National Army Day parade ceremony in Tehran, Iran, April 17, 2024. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Iran has replaced air defenses damaged during last month’s conflict with Israel, Iran’s Defah Press news agency reported on Sunday quoting Mahmoud Mousavi, the regular army’s deputy for operations.

During the conflict in June, Israel’s air force dominated Iran’s airspace and dealt a heavy blow to the country’s air defenses while Iranian armed forces launched successive barrages of missiles and drones on Israeli territory.

“Some of our air defenses were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure,” Mousavi said.

Prior to the war, Iran had its own domestically-made long-range air defense system Bavar-373 in addition to the Russian-made S-300 system. The report by Defah Press did not mention any import of foreign-made air defense systems to Iran in past weeks.

Following limited Israeli strikes against Iranian missile factories last October, Iran later displayed Russian-made air defenses in a military exercise to show it recovered from the attack.

The post Iran Says It Has Replaced Air Defenses Damaged in Israel War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Calm Reported in Syria’s Sweida, Damascus Says Truce Holding

Members of Internal Security Forces stand guard at an Internal Security Forces’ checkpoint working to prevent Bedouin fighters from advancing towards Sweida, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Walgha, Sweida province, Syria, July 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Karam al-Masri

Residents reported calm in Syria’s Sweida on Sunday after the Islamist-led government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city and a US envoy signaled that a deal to end days of fighting was being implemented.

With hundreds reported killed, the Sweida bloodshed is a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, prompting Israel to launch airstrikes against government forces last week as it declared support for the Druze. Fighting continued on Saturday despite a ceasefire call.

Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on Sunday that internal security forces had managed to calm the situation and enforce the ceasefire, “paving the way for a prisoner exchange and the gradual return of stability throughout the governorate.”

Reuters images showed interior ministry forces near the city, blocking the road in front of members of tribes congregated there. The Interior Ministry said late on Saturday that Bedouin fighters had left the city.

US envoy Tom Barrack said the sides had “navigated to a pause and cessation of hostilities”. “The next foundation stone on a path to inclusion, and lasting de-escalation, is a complete exchange of hostages and detainees, the logistics of which are in process,” he wrote on X.

Kenan Azzam, a dentist, said there was an uneasy calm but the city’s residents were struggling with a lack of water and electricity. “The hospitals are a disaster and out of service, and there are still so many dead and wounded,” he said by phone.

Another resident, Raed Khazaal, said aid was urgently needed. “Houses are destroyed … The smell of corpses is spread throughout the national hospital,” he said in a voice message to Reuters from Sweida.

The Syrian state news agency said an aid convoy sent to the city by the government was refused entry while aid organized by the Syrian Red Crescent was let in. A source familiar with the situation said local factions in Sweida had turned back the government convoy.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Sunday that Israel sent urgent medical aid to the Druze in Sweida and the step was coordinated with Washington and Syria. Spokespeople for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Foreign Ministry and the military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Druze are a small but influential minority in Syria, Israel and Lebanon who follow a religion that is an offshoot of a branch of Shi’ite Islam. Some hardline Sunnis deem their beliefs heretical.

The fighting began a week ago with clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters. Damascus sent troops to quell the fighting, but they were drawn into the violence and accused of widespread violations against the Druze.

Residents of the predominantly Druze city said friends and neighbours were shot at close range in their homes or in the streets by Syrian troops, identified by their fatigues and insignia.

Sharaa on Thursday promised to protect the rights of Druze and to hold to account those who committed violations against “our Druze people.”

He has blamed the violence on “outlaw groups.”

While Sharaa has won US backing since meeting President Donald Trump in May, the violence has underscored the challenge he faces stitching back together a country shattered by 14 years of conflict, and added to pressures on its mosaic of sectarian and ethnic groups.

COASTAL VIOLENCE

After Israel bombed Syrian government forces in Sweida and hit the defense ministry in Damascus last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had established a policy demanding the demilitarization of territory near the border, stretching from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain, east of Sweida.

He also said Israel would protect the Druze.

The United States however said it did not support the Israeli strikes. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area for two days.

A Syrian security source told Reuters that internal security forces had taken up positions near Sweida, establishing checkpoints in western and eastern parts of the province where retreating tribal fighters had gathered.

On Sunday, Sharaa received the report of an inquiry into violence in Syria’s coastal region in March, where Reuters reported in June that Syrian forces killed 1,500 members of the Alawite minority following attacks on security forces.

The presidency said it would review the inquiry’s conclusions and ensure steps to “bring about justice” and prevent the recurrence of “such violations.” It called on the inquiry to hold a news conference on its findings – if appropriate – as soon as possible.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said on July 18 it had documented the deaths of at least 321 people in Sweida province since July 13. The preliminary toll included civilians, women, children, Bedouin fighters, members of local groups and members of the security forces, it said, and the dead included people killed in field executions by both sides.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another monitoring group, has reported a death toll of at least 940 people.

Reuters could not independently verify the tolls.

The post Calm Reported in Syria’s Sweida, Damascus Says Truce Holding first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Pope Leo Calls for End to ‘Barbarity of War’ After Strike on Gaza Church

Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yara Nardi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Pope Leo called for an end to the “barbarity of war” on Sunday as he spoke of his profound pain over an Israeli strike on the sole Catholic church in Gaza.

Three people died and several were injured, including the parish priest, in the strike on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City on Thursday. Photos show its roof has been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and shattering windows.

Speaking after his Angelus prayer, Leo read out the names of those killed in the incident.

“I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, of indiscriminate use of force and forced displacement of the population,” he said.

The post Pope Leo Calls for End to ‘Barbarity of War’ After Strike on Gaza Church first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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