Smotrich Says He Signed Order to Evacuate Khan al-Ahmar: “The PA Started a War — and It Will Get War”

Following reports of a secret request for an international arrest warrant against him, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attacked the International Criminal Court in The Hague today (Tuesday). At a press conference he convened, he argued that this was an attempt to dictate Israel’s security policy through international pressure and announced a series of response measures.

Smotrich said: “Last night I was informed that the criminal prosecutor of the antisemitic court in The Hague submitted a secret request for an international arrest warrant against me. The clumsy attempt to force on us a policy of security suicide through sanctions and arrest warrants will not succeed.” He added: “As a sovereign and independent state, we will not accept hypocritical dictates from biased bodies that consistently line up against the State of Israel.”

Smotrich linked the international legal move to the Palestinian Authority: “Unfortunately, a large number of European countries have never exactly distinguished themselves with their love of Zion. Hypocrisy and double standards have become the hallmark of many of these countries. But this time, the hands are the hands of The Hague, but the voice is the voice of the PA. The terror organization mistakenly called the Palestinian Authority.”

Smotrich continued: “A disgraceful body established as part of the shame of Oslo is, by all indications, the one behind the attack on Israel’s prime minister and on Israeli government ministers who dare to carry out a policy that stands tall מול this terror organization.”

Smotrich argued that the move is not only personal against him: “They are not targeting Benjamin Netanyahu or Bezalel Smotrich. They are trying to target us in our roles as the prime minister and finance minister of the State of Israel.” He then escalated his tone: “Issuing arrest warrants against the prime minister is a declaration of war. Issuing arrest warrants against the defense minister and the finance minister is a declaration of war. And in the face of a declaration of war, we will answer with war. I am not a submissive Jew. No. The PA started a war, and it will get war.”

As part of his statement, the minister also announced a practical step that he said would be carried out immediately: “I am announcing here the first target that will be struck — immediately after I finish speaking, I will sign an order to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar במסגרת סמכויותי כשר במשרד הבטחון. I promise all our enemies: this is only the beginning.”

In his speech, Smotrich also expanded on his work in government, saying that he had acted to preserve the stability of Israel’s economy during a “multi-front war,” alongside leading a policy shift in Judea and Samaria. “In this term, I didn’t make noise. I simply did,” he said. According to him, “I succeeded in fulfilling my duty as finance minister and keeping Israel’s economy stable,” and he also claimed that “we established more than 100 new communities, along with 160 agricultural farms that safeguard more than one million dunams of state land.”

As previously reported, the website “Middle East Eye” reported yesterday that the Israeli official for whom an arrest warrant request was submitted to the International Criminal Court is Smotrich. According to the report, the request submitted last month includes accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians in the West Bank, including forced displacement, population transfer, persecution, and apartheid. At this stage, however, there is no official confirmation of the report.

Earlier, the newspaper “Haaretz” reported that, according to assessments in Israel, the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants against five Israeli political and military figures. According to those assessments, the three senior political figures are Defense Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. In addition, according to the assessments, the possibility is also being examined of issuing warrants against two senior IDF officers — Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and apparently also the head of Southern Command.