Clinton Defense chief: Netanyahu ‘in very bad company’ with ICC indictment

Former Defense Secretary William Cohen said the International Criminal Court’s indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister puts them “in very bad company."

The ICC on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and a Hamas official on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity for Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Israeli leader has rebuked the charges.

Netanyahu now joins Russian President Vladimir Putin on the list of those facing ICC action. Putin, along with several top military officials, has been accused of several charges involving Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The warrants accuse Netanyahu and Gallant of using “starvation as a method of warfare" and "intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population." They’re also alleged to have deliberately targeted medical facilities and restricted the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

“The ICC doesn’t have the jurisdiction in Israel, and Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t likely to be traveling anywhere soon,” Cohen told NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”

“He’s going to be more isolated in Israel," he added.

The former Defense official, who served under former President Clinton, also talked about the demands that face Pete Hegseth should he be confirmed as secretary of defense.

“It’s the most exciting and the most exhausting job in the universe, I think, second only to being president of the United States,” Cohen said. “I know that I got by on roughly 4 1/2 hours of sleep at night, but the adrenaline, the exhilaration, keeps you going for the four-year period.”

He also offered some advice to Hegseth: The key to any defense secretary’s success is the team around them.

“There is no one person that goes into that office that says, ‘I have control of the entire organization.’ You have to have a great team,” Cohen continued. “You can’t just accept mediocrity."

"You have to have top-flight people: people who know the business of defense and who know Capitol Hill and who know the international business as well," he added.

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