Germany says it will arrest Israeli PM Netanyahu if he sets foot in the country

Germany has confirmed it will arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters the country, following allegations of war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Steffen Hebestreit, spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, stated on Wednesday that Germany would comply with legal obligations and arrest Netanyahu should he visit the EU nation.

This announcement follows British prosecutor Karim Khan's statement on Monday about seeking warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, the Gaza ruler implicated in the events of October 7.

Netanyahu has called the allegations a 'distortion of reality,' accusing the prosecutor of exacerbating global antisemitism. Meanwhile, Germany's decision came despite a plea from Israel’s Ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, who urged the German government to reject the ICC’s proposed arrest warrant.

Expressing his frustration on X (formerly known as Twitter), Prosor wrote: "This is outrageous! The German 'Staatsräson' is now being put to the test—no ifs or buts."

He emphasized that public declarations of Israel's right to self-defense are undermined if Israel's actions are restricted.

Staatsräson refers to Germany's enduring commitment to Israel's defense, a policy emphasized by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in a 2008 speech to the Knesset.