NEW YORK – In response to today’s announcement that the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas in connection with the ongoing war, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder issued the following statement:
“The World Jewish Congress rejects the International Criminal Court's prosecutor’s illegitimate and misguided wish to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. Make no mistake, there is no moral equivalence between the Hamas terror group’s barbaric Oct. 7 attacks and the response by the democratic Jewish state.
“Since that day, Israel has acted to both remove direct threats to its security and to provide long-term protection for its people.
“The chief prosecutor’s baseless call, which could be characterized as antisemitic and which seeks to stand in the way of Israel’s right to self-defense, runs contrary to the fundamental guiding forces of international law and order.
“This move undermines the mission of the ICC and does little to serve justice for the people of Gaza and the hostages being held by Hamas.”
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