Israel Finance Minister Claims Court Seeks His Arrest
Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says the International Criminal Court wants to arrest him. He claims the charges include forcing people from their homes and moving Israeli settlers into occupied land.
Sources say the warrant may also include apartheid. This would be the first time an international court has used that charge.
Israeli officials told CNN the court may also seek warrants for two other ministers. Smotrich called the warrant request a declaration of war.
He vowed to hit back hard against the Palestinian Authority. As part of his stated retaliation he ordered the removal of a Palestinian Bedouin village called Khan al-Ahmar in the West Bank.
The ICC declined to comment. It said warrant requests are kept secret.
Klear Note — The ICC is an international court that prosecutes serious crimes. Israel is not an ICC member but the court can investigate actions in occupied territories.
Key Terms 5
- ICC International Criminal Court — a global court that handles serious war crimes
- Apartheid When a government treats one group of people far worse than others
- Palestinian Authority The governing body that runs parts of the West Bank
- Bedouin Arab people with a traditional way of life, often living in tents or villages
- West Bank Land between Israel and Jordan, partly controlled by Israel since 1967