Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the International Criminal Court of anti-Semitism Thursday after it issued arrest warrants against him and his former defence minister.
"The anti-Semitic decision of the International Criminal Court is comparable to a modern-day Dreyfus trial -- and it will end in the same way," Netanyahu said in a statement, referring to an infamous 19th century case in which French Jewish army captain Alfred Dreyfus was wrongly convicted of treason.
Netanyahu said Israel's current war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks, was "just" and that Israel "rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions and accusations made against it".
He went on to accuse ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan of being corrupt and alleged that the warrants were an attempt "to save himself from serious accusations of sexual harassment". Khan has denied the allegations.
Netanyahu said the judges were "driven by anti-Semitic hatred of Israel" and vowed that the arrest warrants would "not prevent the State of Israel from defending its citizens".
Former defence minister Yoav Gallant said the warrant issued for his arrest as well as those of Netanyahu and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif set a "dangerous precedent".
"The decision of the court in The Hague will be remembered forever -- it places the State of Israel and the murderous leaders of Hamas in the same row and thus legitimises the murder of babies, the rape of women and the abduction of the elderly from their beds," he wrote on X.
"The decision sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defence and ethical warfare and encourages murderous terrorism."
President Isaac Herzog described the court's move as a "dark day for justice".
"It ignores the basic fact that Israel was barbarically attacked and has the duty and right to defend its people," Herzog said on X.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the ICC had "lost all legitimacy" with its "attack on Israel's right to defend itself".
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged the government to respond by annexing the whole of the occupied West Bank, which the Palestinians claim as part of their future state.
Israel's centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid too criticised the court's decision.
"Israel is defending its citizens' lives against terrorist organisations that attacked, murdered and raped our people. These arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism," Lapid said in a statement.
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem called on foreign governments to "enforce the warrants" against Netanyahu and Gallant which it said marked "one of the lowest points in Israeli history".
"Personal accountability for decision-makers is a key element in the struggle for justice and freedom for all human beings living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea," it said.