PM: Belgium 'would not arrest Netanyahu either'
Belgium would not arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited the country, according to his Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever. "I don't think there is any European country that would arrest Netanyahu," he told VRT's Terzake talk show on Thursday evening.
Late last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban then invited him to visit Hungary. During Netanyahu's visit to Budapest on Thursday, Hungary announced it would withdraw from the ICC.
On Terzake, De Wever said he "understands" Orban's decision not to arrest Netanyahu. "I think we wouldn't do it either, to be quite honest." According to De Wever, no European country would comply with the ICC arrest warrant. "There is such a thing as realpolitik," he said, adding that he did not agree with Orban's decision to withdraw from the ICC.
"There is such a thing as realpolitik"
De Wever's statement is a clear break with the stance of the previous government. In November, former prime minister Alexander De Croo said Belgium would "assume its responsibility" and arrest Netanyahu. Former Development Cooperation minister Frank Vandenbroucke - who is now part of De Wever's government - said at the time that Belgium would "support the ICC decision and must also comply with it".
Contradictory statement
Opposition parties criticised De Wever on Friday. According to Open VLD MP Kjell Vander Elst, he is contradicting Foreign minister Maxime Prévot, who in his policy statement says he "will act (...) to ensure the unimpeded functioning of the ICC". Insiders say De Wever's position on the matter was not discussed within the government beforehand.
Executing an ICC arrest warrant is not straightforward, criminal law professor Steven Dewulf told VRT on Friday. Israel has never recognised the ICC, and it is legally unclear whether the ICC's rules apply to countries that have not signed its treaty.
The court also has no police or army to enforce its decisions. "If a state doesn't want to cooperate with the ICC, there are not many ways to force it to do so," Dewulf said.
© BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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