German election winner Friedrich Merz said Monday he would make sure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can visit Germany despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for the Israeli leader.

Merz, who is expected to become Germany’s chancellor after his conservative CDU/CSU bloc came first in an election on Sunday, told a press conference he had spoken with Netanyahu.

“I told him that we should see each other soon after the government is formed,” Merz said. “In the event that he plans to visit Germany, I have committed myself to find a way to ensure that he can visit Germany and leave again without being arrested.”

Merz said it was a “completely absurd idea” that an Israeli prime minister could not visit Germany.

Netanyahu’s office said he had congratulated Merz and that the German election winner had invited the premier to visit.

“Merz thanked the prime minister for his call and said he would invite him for an official visit to Germany, openly defying the ICC’s scandalous decision to label the prime minister as a war criminal,” said the Prime Minister’s Office.

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November against Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for allegedly targeting civilians and using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Israel has rejected the accusations, with some calling the arrest warrants antisemitic.

The ICC also sought to prosecute slain Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Muhammad Deif and Yahya Sinwar for crimes against humanity perpetrated during and after October 7, 2023 — when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.

All three terror masterminds had already been killed by Israel by the time the ICC issued the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

Reacting to Merz’s remarks, the ICC said states have a legal obligation to enforce its decisions, and any concerns they may have should be addressed with the court in a timely and efficient manner.

“It is not for states to unilaterally determine the soundness of the court’s legal decisions,” the court said.

The Left party in Germany called Merz’s invitation a “disaster” and accused him of “double standards.”

Germany has always insisted that international arrest warrants must be implemented, said Left co-leader Jan van Aken.

“If Vladimir Putin comes to Germany, then this arrest warrant must be implemented. The same applies to Netanyahu,” said Aken, referring to an ICC arrest warrant issued for the Russian leader over the deportation of children from Ukraine.

The German government had previously said it was “examining” the ICC warrant against Netanyahu and that it was bound by the court.

But German officials carefully avoided saying whether they would act on the warrant, referring to the country’s “great responsibility towards Israel” as a consequence of the Holocaust.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the ICC, accusing it of “abusing its power” in issuing the warrant against Netanyahu.

Merz still needs to find a partner to form a coalition before he becomes chancellor, which could be a lengthy process.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.