How US politicians responded to Netanyahu’s ICC arrest warrant

Washington, DC – When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said successful beforehand of nan United States Congress earlier this year, nan lawmakers stood up and clapped for him dozens of times.

Now that he is simply a formally suspected warfare criminal wanted by nan International Criminal Court (ICC), nan adoration he received successful Washington, DC, successful July from US politicians is turning into anger and threats against nan Hague-based tribunal.

ICC pre-trial judges issued arrest warrants connected Thursday for Netanyahu and his erstwhile Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for charges of utilizing starvation arsenic a method of warfare arsenic good arsenic nan crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and different inhumane acts.

The tribunal recovered that location were reasonable grounds that nan Israeli siege of Gaza “created conditions of life calculated to bring astir nan demolition of portion of nan civilian population”.

With a fewer exceptions, US politicians from some awesome parties expressed outrage astatine nan court’s decision, pinch galore questioning nan court’s legitimacy.

White House ‘rejects’ warrants

The management of President Joe Biden was speedy to sound guidance to nan ruling.

“We fundamentally cull nan court’s determination to rumor apprehension warrants for elder Israeli officials,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

“We stay profoundly concerned by nan prosecutor’s unreserved to activity apprehension warrants and nan troubling process errors that led to this decision.”

She did not place nan alleged errors.

The Biden management raised eyebrows earlier this period erstwhile it said that Israel had not violated a deadline to let humanitarian assistance to Gaza, contradicting nan findings of apical assistance organisations.

Jean-Pierre besides reiterated nan US statement that nan ICC has nary jurisdiction complete Israeli officials because Israel is not a statement to nan court.

But nan tribunal has rejected that rationale, asserting that it has jurisdiction connected nan matter because Palestine – wherever nan suspected crimes occurred – accepts nan court’s authority.

US officials person antecedently based on that Palestinians do not person a state, and truthful cannot participate nan Rome Statute, nan pact that established nan court. But Palestine, which joined nan ICC successful 2015, is simply a non-member perceiver authorities of nan United Nations.

Asked astir calls for sanctioning tribunal officials, Jean-Pierre told reporters: “We are successful consultation pinch our partners, which see Israel, astir our adjacent steps.”

A caller Brown University study recovered that nan Biden management spent $17.9bn connected information assistance to Israel complete nan past twelvemonth – costs that were captious to nan US ally’s devastating warfare connected Gaza.

Call for sanctions

While nan outgoing Democratic management rebuked nan ICC, Republicans were moreover much forceful successful condemning nan ICC and demanding penalties against its officials.

Senator Lindsey Graham, an state of President-elect Donald Trump, said it is clip for nan US authorities to punishment nan ICC for its warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

The US House of Representatives passed a bill successful June to enforce sanctions connected tribunal officials, but nan measurement has not been considered by nan Democratic-controlled Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer “needs to walk nan bipartisan authorities that came from nan House sanctioning nan Court for specified an outrage and President Biden needs to motion it”, Graham wrote successful a societal media post.

In 2021, nan Biden management removed sanctions connected ICC officials that had been imposed by Trump, who will beryllium sworn successful for a 2nd word connected January 20.

Stand pinch Israel. Sanction nan ICC.

— Rep. Richard Hudson (@RepRichHudson) November 21, 2024

Incoming Trump adjutant warns of ‘strong response’

Congressman Mike Waltz, who is group to service arsenic Trump’s nationalist information adviser, slammed nan tribunal complete apprehension warrants.

“The ICC has nary credibility and these allegations person been refuted by nan US government,” Waltz wrote successful a societal media post.

“Israel has lawfully defended its group [and] borders from genocidal terrorists. You tin expect a beardown consequence to nan antisemitic bias of nan ICC [and] UN travel January.”

Senator threatens ICC pinch ‘Hague Invasion Act’

Sanctions are not capable for Tom Cotton, a Republican legislator known for calling for nan usage of subject force, moreover against domestic protesters.

Rebuking nan ICC, Cotton invoked a US rule that authorises nan US president to usage “all intends basal and appropriate” to free Americans aliases allied individuals detained astatine nan petition of nan court.

Congress successful 2002 passed nan American Service-Members’ Protection Act, which is informally known arsenic “The Hague Invasion Act” because it greenlights subject unit against nan ICC.

“The ICC is simply a kangaroo tribunal and Karim Khan is simply a deranged fanatic,” Cotton wrote successful a societal media post.

“Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants.”

Democrats condemn court

As it often does, support for Israel – moreover against allegations of horrific warfare crimes – brought cardinal figures from some awesome parties together.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman utilized profanity and an Israeli emblem emoji to make his views known. “No standing, relevance, aliases path. F*** that,” he wrote successful a societal media post.

Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz accused nan ICC of “antisemitic double standard”, and Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen urged Biden to “use his authority to swiftly respond to this overreach”.

For his part, New York Congressman Ritchie Torres accused nan ICC of criminalising self-defence.

Numerous authorities groups person concluded that Israeli atrocities successful Gaza, which UN experts person described arsenic a genocide, are warfare crimes that do not autumn nether nan correct of self-defence.

“The ICC should beryllium sanctioned not for enforcing nan rule but for distorting it beyond recognition,” Torres wrote successful a societal media post.

Tlaib hails ‘historic’ apprehension warrants

The Palestinian American congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib, was a uncommon sound of dissent successful welcoming nan ICC’s decision.

Tlaib called connected nan Biden management to extremity “complicity” successful Israeli abuses.

“The International Criminal Court’s agelong overdue determination to rumor apprehension warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for warfare crimes and crimes against humanity signals that nan days of nan Israeli apartheid authorities operating pinch impunity are ending,” Tlaib said successful a statement.

“Since this genocide began, nan United States has provided much than $18bn successful weapons to nan Israeli government. The Biden Administration tin nary longer contradict that those aforesaid US weapons person been utilized successful countless warfare crimes.”

She added that Washington must instantly halt each arms transfers to nan “Israeli apartheid regime”.

“Today’s historical apprehension warrants cannot bring backmost nan dormant and displaced, but they are a awesome measurement towards holding warfare criminals accountable,” nan congresswoman added.

My connection connected nan @IntlCrimCourt issuing apprehension warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for warfare crimes and crimes against humanity: pic.twitter.com/C10EN1yy0q

— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) November 21, 2024

Mayor says his metropolis would apprehension Netanyahu

Abdullah Hammoud, nan politician of nan Detroit suburb of Dearborn, which has a ample Arab American population, said nan metropolis would enforce nan ICC warrants against Gallant and Netanyahu.

“Dearborn will apprehension Netanyahu [and] Gallant if they measurement wrong Dearborn metropolis limits,” Hammoud wrote successful a societal media post.

“Other cities should state nan same. Our president whitethorn not return action, but metropolis leaders tin guarantee Netanyahu [and] different warfare criminals are not invited to recreation freely crossed these United States.”

The US does not recognise nan ICC’s jurisdiction connected its soil, truthful it is not clear whether its municipalities person nan authority to apprehension Netanyahu.

Still, Hammoud’s threat highlights nan ineligible perils Netanyahu and Gallant will look crossed nan world arsenic formally accused warfare criminals.