Belgium PM: We will not arrest Netanyahu

Designate Belgium Prime Minister from the Flemish nationalist New Flemish Alliance / Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie Bart De Wever talks to media prior an informal EU Leaders’ retreat in the Egmont Palace, the EU Council headquarter on February 3, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium [Thierry Monasse/Getty Images]

Belgium has announced it will not comply with the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Quds News Network reported VRT saying.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever defended the move in an interview with VRT last week. He said Belgium would not arrest Netanyahu if he visited. “There is such a thing as realpolitik. Practical considerations prevail over ethical considerations,” he stated.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his then Defence minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes being committed in Gaza. Despite the arrest warrant, Netanyahu has visited the US and Hungary and used French air space.

De Wever said most European countries would also avoid arresting Netanyahu. “France wouldn’t, and I don’t think we would either,” he told VRT. He argued that enforcing the arrest is not feasible.

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