Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for the US Senate in Maine, attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, calling him an “international fugitive” and repeating allegations made against him by the International Criminal Court.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is an international fugitive,” Platner wrote. He accused the Israeli leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including intentionally attacking civilians and using starvation as a method of warfare.
Platner presented the allegations as established facts, despite Israel’s rejection of the ICC’s jurisdiction and its insistence that the accusations ignore its efforts to target terrorist organizations while limiting civilian harm. The United States also does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction over Americans or citizens of countries that are not parties to the court.
The comments place Platner’s hostility toward Israel at the center of the closely watched Maine Senate race. He recently secured the Democratic nomination and will face longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins in November.
