Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due in Washington on Monday for talks with US President Donald Trump, with the situation in Iran topping the agenda, alongside a memorial service for the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
Addressing a government meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu confirmed the trip and its dual purpose. “Tomorrow I will fly to Washington to meet, at his invitation, with President Trump, and afterwards to participate in the memorial service for a great friend of Israel, the late Senator Lindsey Graham,” he said. “I must say, he was one of Israel’s greatest friends since its inception, and it is fitting that we pay him this respect. I will also discuss all pending issues with President Trump, including the situation in Iran.”
Netanyahu Takes Aim At ICC Prosecutor
The Israeli leader also turned his attention to the recent removal of International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan, framing it as proof of deeper problems at the tribunal.
“I think this exposed the fact that this man was not only accused of sexual harassment by several women who worked under him, which was the reason he cancelled his visit to Israel, took back what he said about Israel’s legal system and the need to conduct a thorough review, and immediately moved to advance warrants against me and against former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant,” Netanyahu said.
He argued that Khan had used the warrants as a shield to distract from the allegations against him. “He did this to divert attention, to rally all of Israel’s haters around him, naturally, to give himself a protective shield,” Netanyahu said. “This shield has now been torn apart, exposing his true motivation: the injustice and the deep corruption that exists not only in the Prosecutor’s office, but in the International Criminal Court as a whole.”
Washington’s Backing Against The Hague
Netanyahu revealed he had spoken by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday night, during which Rubio reaffirmed America’s stance against the court.
“He reiterated to me the US intention to act firmly against this organisation, which endangers justice in the world and also threatens the right of democratic, sovereign states to exercise their sovereignty, and essentially attempts to subjugate their security to the decisions of a corrupt bureaucracy in The Hague,” Netanyahu said. “I think this is a very positive development, and I think it is important that we echo this around the world.”