Smotrich Drops Bombshell: ICC Secretly Requested His Arrest Warrant

Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich dropped a political bombshell Tuesday, revealing in a dramatic press conference that the International Criminal Court prosecutor in The Hague had submitted a secret request for an international arrest warrant against him.

"Last night I was informed that the criminal prosecutor at the antisemitic court in The Hague filed a request for a secret international arrest warrant against me," Smotrich stated at the opening of his remarks. "This request joins the unprecedented arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. As a sovereign and independent state, we will not accept hypocritical dictates from biased bodies that consistently stand against our right to self-defense."

The revelation comes amid ongoing tensions between Israel and international legal institutions. The ICC had previously issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, and recent reports suggested the court was moving toward warrants against additional senior Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and top military commanders.

"The Hands Are The Hague's – The Voice Is Ramallah's"

Smotrich refused to view the ICC as the sole actor behind the legal assault, directing sharp criticism toward the Palestinian Authority. "The hands are The Hague's, but the voice is the Palestinian Authority's," the minister declared. "The terror organization mistakenly called the Palestinian Authority, a despicable body created under the disgrace of Oslo, is the one behind the attack on Israel's prime minister and ministers, according to all indications. The PA opened a war, and it will receive a war."

The Finance Minister announced a series of unprecedented retaliatory measures against the Palestinian Authority, leveraging his extensive authority over the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria. "From today, every economic or other objective that I have the power to strike within my authority will be attacked," Smotrich emphasized. "Not talk and gimmicks - actions. Immediately upon concluding my remarks here, I will sign an order to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar. I promise all our enemies: this is only the beginning."

The Settlement Revolution: "I Did It Without Noise"

In an extensive portion of his address, Smotrich highlighted what he characterized as dramatic but quiet achievements in Judea and Samaria over recent years, operating beneath the international radar. "In this term, I didn't make noise. I simply did. And thank God, I also succeeded," the minister asserted. "We led a revolution. We thwarted the dangerous 'Fayyad Plan' designed to create choking rings around Rosh HaAyin, Modiin and Kfar Saba."

Smotrich detailed the scope of settlement expansion under his watch: "We established over 100 new communities and alongside them 160 agricultural farms protecting more than a million dunams of state land. We are planning, building, paving and regularizing – making the pioneering settlement enterprise irreversible."

The minister's remarks come as Israel faces increasing international pressure over settlement activity. The ICC prosecutor's office has previously indicated that settlement expansion could factor into its investigations, though the court denied recent reports that new warrants had already been issued.

"I'm Not a Submissive Jew"

Addressing the personal implications of potential arrest warrants, Smotrich conveyed defiance mixed with national concern. "On a personal level, they don't move me," the Finance Minister clarified. "I am prepared to pay personal prices to serve my people, and I do so with pride and head held high. But on a national level, issuing arrest warrants against the state's leadership is a declaration of war. And we will respond to a declaration of war with full-scale war. I am not a submissive Jew."

The minister's strong rhetoric reflects broader Israeli frustration with international legal proceedings. Similar tensions have emerged across Europe, where antisemitic attacks on Israeli diplomatic facilities have increased alongside ICC proceedings.

When questioned by journalist Shachar Glick, Smotrich congratulated him on his move to the public broadcaster, adding with a pointed remark: "It seems like temporary work to me, no? They're going to shut down the corporation."

The Khan al-Ahmar evacuation order represents one of the most significant unilateral Israeli actions in Judea and Samaria in recent years. The Bedouin encampment, located along a strategic corridor east of Jerusalem, has been the subject of legal battles for over a decade. International bodies have repeatedly called for Israel to halt demolition plans, making Smotrich's immediate signing of the evacuation order a direct challenge to international pressure.