US officials described the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister as a “dangerous” act invalidating the Jewish state’s right to defend itself.
The White House dismissed Thursday’s ruling against Netanyahu and former defense chief Yoav Galant with infuriating Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is vowing to impose sanctions against the ICC next year.
“The ICC arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant are outrageous, unlawful and dangerous,” Thune said.
He said, “Israel has the right to defend itself, and the ICC’s rogue actions only enable terrorists who want to wipe Israel off the map.”
Fellow Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a close ally newly elected president donald trumpEchoed Thune’s criticisms and warning to Hague.
“The court is a dangerous joke. “Now is the time for the U.S. Senate to take action and sanction this irresponsible body,” Graham said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also called the decision “shameful” and vowed that Democrats would also stand with Israel.
“I stand with the Biden administration in fundamentally rejecting this frivolous decision. “The United States has a strong commitment to Israel’s security and we will continue to stand by Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism,” Jeffries said.
Mike Pompeo, Trump’s former Secretary of StateSaid that the ICC decision ultimately “rewards” Hamas, calling the arrest warrant a clear act of anti-Semitism.
“It is outrageous and outrageous that the ICC is issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including PM Netanyahu.” Pompeo wrote on,
“This is not justice.”
The White House National Security Council said the US does not recognize the Hague ruling and criticized ICC prosecutor Karim Khan for pursuing the arrest warrant despite strong US opposition earlier this year.
A council spokesperson said, “We are deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s haste in seeking an arrest warrant and the troubling procedural errors that led to this decision.”
Stephanie Hallett, the US deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Israel, said that while the ICC has no jurisdiction in the case, she agreed with Israel’s argument because the Jewish state is not a member of the court.
Hallett also criticized Khan’s alleged reluctance to travel to Israel and meet with officials during the ICC investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Netanyahu and Gallant.
The tribunal has accused Israeli leaders of “crimes against humanity and war crimes” through Israel’s war campaign in Gaza since October 8, which has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The court also sought an arrest warrant against Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. last remaining top official Who helped plan and lead the October 7 massacre, in which 1,200 people in Israel were killed and 251 others were kidnapped.
As well as the US, officials in Argentina and Hungary have rejected the ICC decision, rejecting the suggestion that Israel’s actions are similar to those of Hamas.
The Netherlands, where The Hague is based, has vowed to uphold the warrant and arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they ever set foot on Dutch soil.
The UK, Italy and France all said they also support the ICC, but said they would meet with other European leaders to discuss what to do about the warrant.
European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the court’s decision was a legal matter, not a political one, adding that member states must respect and uphold the arrest warrant.
Given that Israel is not a member of the ICC, Netanyahu and Gallant have no fear of arrest at home, but the warrants risk further isolating the Jewish state as the wars in Gaza and Lebanon continue.
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