Britain Threatened to Cut Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant, Prosecutor Claims

Karim Khan made this claim in a submission to the ICC, in which he defended his decision to pursue legal action against Israel’s prime minister.

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, Khan did not name the official who made the threat, stating that the call on 23 April 2024 was with a British representative, though reports indicate it could have been the then Foreign Secretary, David Cameron. According to Khan, the official argued that issuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former Israeli defence minister, would be disproportionate.

He also stated that in April 2024, a U.S. official warned him that issuing the warrants could have catastrophic consequences. Despite pressure to delay, Khan insisted during the call that there was no indication that the Israeli government would cooperate with the ICC or alter its actions.

Khan added that on 1 May, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham cautioned him that pursuing the warrants could lead Hamas to target Israeli hostages.

He said he first became aware of sexual misconduct allegations against him on 2 May. On 6 May, a third party revealed that someone had submitted a complaint about his behavior to the ICC’s internal oversight body without the alleged victim’s consent. When the complainant expressed that she did not wish to pursue the matter, it was initially dropped, but the allegations resurfaced in October through an anonymous account on X.

In his submission, Khan emphasized that he acted neutrally throughout the process and was not seeking personal advantage. He noted that the plan to issue the arrest warrant was formulated before the allegations against him arose.

He further stressed that it would be inappropriate for applicants to rely on selective media reports to argue for his disqualification, noting that his case preparation had been thorough.

Reports indicate that Khan insisted on sending a detailed and assertive 22-page response to Israel’s request to dismiss the warrants after reviewing what he considered an initially tame draft. He said he had convened a panel of international law experts to evaluate whether the ICC had jurisdiction and whether a case should proceed against Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas officials.