Israeli official wanted by ICC sparks outrage online after column in major British paper
A recent column published by The Times newspaper, co-authored by right-wing British historian Niall Ferguson and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, titled, Israel Has Done Most of the Job, Now Trump Can Finish It, has ignited widespread outrage across social media platforms.
The article, originally published in one of Britain's oldest newspapers, calls for US President Donald Trump to escalate military action against Iran in the wake of Israel's recent operations.
The decision to platform Gallant, who is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, has drawn sharp criticism.
The Times of London publish an op-Ed by Yoav Gallant and Niall Ferguson.
For context the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Gallant alleging that he used 'starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity, persecution, and other inhumane acts…' pic.twitter.com/5gcypWFJ0W — Tam Hussein (@tamhussein) June 20, 2025
People on the social media platform X termed The Times' editorial choice as 'sickening' and 'shameful', highlighting the ethical and legal implications of amplifying a figure wanted under an active ICC arrest warrant.
Many saw the column as yet another stark example of the double standards in western media's coverage of the Middle East, particularly in relation to Palestine and the application of international law.
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Investigative journalist John McEvoy described the move as 'a new low for the British media', while others questioned whether the newspaper acknowledged Gallant's ICC status in his bio.
"I wonder if The Times put wanted war criminal in Gallant's bio... yet another example of how our western media is failing the public every single day," wrote another.
One person said mainstream media had 'lost credibility to the point of no return,' accusing it of publishing the warmongering of a wanted war criminal as journalism, calling it 'propaganda and disinformation in the service of war crimes'.
The UK, as a signatory to the Rome Statute, is legally obligated to arrest Gallant should he enter the country, further fuelling accusations of editorial negligence.
The UK has a legal obligation to arrest Yoav Gallant if he visit the country, it's really a terrible decision by @thetimes to publish an article of a wanted war criminal. https://t.co/aQ2ErKjg40 — Beatrice Fihn (@BeaFihn) June 20, 2025
Outrage also focused on the article's underlying message, which many viewed as a blatant call for further regional escalation.
For some, it echoed the same narratives used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a case of history repeating itself.
"Niall Ferguson and Yoav Gallant writing an article together in the Murdoch zionist rag urging war on Iran. Of course they are, Iraq 2.0 with the same cliched reasoning of Western superiority justifying it, oblivious to 2 years of slaughter of civilians, particularly children."
"A new low. The Times publishes an article urging an illegal war on Iran, in which a deluded right-wing British historian has teamed up with Yoav Gallant, an actual war criminal wanted by the ICC for war crimes & crimes against humanity," another social media user added.
The Times really did just publish this.
Ferguson supported the Iraq war in 2003, describing himself as "a fully paid-up member of the neo-imperialist gang".
Gallant is the ex Defence Minister of Israel - and has an ICC arrest warrant out for him (the UK subscribes to the ICC). pic.twitter.com/UvVj27L0ZL — Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) June 20, 2025
The co-authorship with Orientalist scholar Ferguson, known for his strong support of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, has further amplified the backlash.
"A new low. The Times publishes an article urging an illegal war on Iran, in which a deluded right-wing British historian has teamed up with Yoav Gallant, an actual war criminal wanted by the ICC for war crimes & crimes against humanity."
Gallant, notably, is one of three Israeli leaders facing an active International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, making his participation in a British publication's advocacy for war not just unprecedented, but deeply alarming to many online.
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