Herzog: "The arrest warrants in The Hague - a distraction from the allegations against the prosecutor"

President Isaac Herzog was interviewed last week by Fox News and addressed many issues on the American agenda, from tensions with Iran to the lawsuits in The Hague and the rise of antisemitism.

During the interview, which aired this evening, he pointed an accusing finger at the chief prosecutor in The Hague and claimed:

"The arrest warrants for the Prime Minister of Israel and senior Israeli officials are a distraction from the serious allegations against the prosecutor himself."

The President spoke at length about Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and said: "Karim Khan was supposed to arrive in Israel to meet with experts and senior leaders in order to learn about the reality in Israel, so that we could present the truth to him. Among other things, he was supposed to meet with me as well." According to him, on the day he and his team were on their way to the airport for a flight to Israel, he suddenly filed the requests for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Gallant, and other senior officials. "Now, after the fact, we know clearly that this was done to distract from the allegations against him of sexual harassment," the President added.

He emphasized that the decision to remove Khan does justice to the woman who was attacked: "When women share and complain about cases of 'MeToo', we all need to support them fully. That has always been my belief. The International Criminal Court in The Hague must dismiss the case entirely, and not fall into the traps of lies and hatred that Karim Khan presented to cover for himself."

On Mamdani's Rhetoric

Regarding the words of New York City Council member Zohran Mamdani, the President said: "Mamdani does not respect the Jewish people's right to self-determination and to a state of their own. He represents hatred and antisemitic rhetoric. He must understand that he is endangering his own citizens — their security, their well-being, and their lives." The President added that the recent stabbing in New York, where an individual was targeted for being dressed as an Orthodox Jew, is a concerning development.

Iran as a Strategic Threat

Regarding Iran, the President said that the Iranian regime has for decades posed a strategic threat to global stability: "They take the food and money of their own people and invest them in terrorism around the world. That is a fact. When asked why such a country seeks to spread so much terror, the answer is ideology. This ideology does not accept any other religion, nor does it accept moderate Islam." The President noted that Iran's missile program, its activities around the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear ambitions, and support for regional terrorist proxies are evidence of the threat that the Iranian regime poses to global stability and security.

The Future of Gaza

Regarding the future of Gaza and the next stage of the campaign, the President said: "This is something that could be a significant breakthrough. One must remember, President Trump's 20-point plan was approved by the UN Security Council, and the next stage is the disarmament of Hamas." The President concluded: "One thing must be clear — Hamas cannot rule Gaza and can no longer turn it into a launchpad for terror. The residents of Gaza deserve a better future, but for that, they will have to take their fate into their own hands, disarm the terrible terrorist organization, and move toward a better future for the residents of Gaza and the residents of Israel."

President Herzog also praised the support of President Trump for Israel, stating that this support is expressed both in words and in deeds. He credited Trump with assisting in securing the return of the 255 hostages held by Hamas following the October 7, 2023, terror attack, noting that Trump pushed and conducted negotiations in a brilliant manner to bring them home.