Israel petitions ICC to remove Prosecutor Karim Khan and void “baseless” warrants, citing misconduct, bias, and politically motivated targeting of Israel.
In an unprecedented and explosive legal counteroffensive, the State of Israel on Monday formally demanded that the International Criminal Court’s Appeals Chamber disqualify Prosecutor Karim Khan from all proceedings involving Israel—while also urging the court to invalidate the arrest warrants he issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry delivered a searing indictment of Khan’s conduct, accusing him of acting out of personal desperation and political calculation rather than legitimate legal analysis.
“Baseless, Outrageous, and Personally Motivated” — Israel Blasts ICC Prosecutor
According to Israel, the warrants handed down against Netanyahu and Gallant were “false,” “unfounded,” and motivated by improper personal motives.”
The ministry cited “grave reports” indicating that Khan pushed aggressively for arrest warrants precisely as sexual harassment allegations against him began surfacing.
“These actions were intended to divert attention from severe accusations against him,” the Foreign Ministry charged, calling the prosecutor’s conduct a “profound and irreparable contamination” of the proceedings.
The ministry emphasized that the request does not replace Israel’s broader legal case:
- the ICC has no jurisdiction over Israel,
- the warrants violate core principles of international law,
- and Khan’s conduct taints every step of the process.
Misconduct Allegations and Suspicious Timing Raise Serious Questions
Khan, who denies all wrongdoing, is facing multiple misconduct complaints—including a second one filed in August—for alleged sexual harassment of a subordinate.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Khan initiated the process to seek warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant within three weeks of the first accusations surfacing.
This timing, Israeli officials say, is no coincidence.
The effect, critics argue, was clear:
Khan launched politically explosive charges against Israel precisely as his own professional credibility was collapsing.
Although Khan has suggested that “attacks and threats” may be influencing the allegations against him, a lengthy investigation by The Guardian found no evidence of Israeli involvement.
Israel: The ICC Cannot Allow a Compromised Prosecutor to Weaponize International Law
Israel’s filing insists that the ICC cannot continue any Israel-related proceedings with a prosecutor who is now deeply compromised, legally conflicted, and ethically suspect.
The Foreign Ministry declared that Khan’s behavior has inflicted incurable damage:
“The contamination of the proceedings caused by the Prosecutor’s conduct is profound and irreparable.”
Jerusalem is now demanding:
- Khan’s total disqualification from all Israel cases
- A declaration that the arrest warrants are void and unenforceable
- Full acknowledgment that the warrants were issued under political and personal pressure, not impartial legal scrutiny
A Global Showdown: Israel vs. The ICC’s Credibility Crisis
The clash now unfolding pits one of the world’s most embattled democracies against an international court already struggling with accusations of bias, selective enforcement, and politicization.
For Israel and its allies, the case is a glaring example of the ICC being hijacked by figures with personal agendas, turning international law into a political cudgel.
For Khan, the stakes could not be higher:
His personal legal scandal may now unravel one of the most aggressive actions ever taken by the ICC against a Western-aligned democratic nation.
One thing is certain:
Jerusalem is no longer playing defense—Israel is launching a full-scale legal and diplomatic counterattack.
