The U.S. Senate Republicans attempted to pass legislation sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) last month, but were unable to overcome Democratic opposition. The bill had previously been passed by the House with bipartisan support. Similar to Israel, the U.S. is not a party to the international treaty that established the ICC, citing concerns about the court’s perceived threat to its sovereignty.
During his first term, President Trump imposed an asset freeze and travel restrictions on ICC officials due to their investigation into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Trump argued that the ICC lacked jurisdiction or authority over the U.S. The subsequent arrest warrants issued for Israeli leaders last year faced strong opposition from the U.S., with former President Joe Biden condemning them as “outrageous” and emphasizing that there was no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
The Trump administration also criticized the ICC for what they deemed as a “shameful moral equivalency” between Israel’s actions and those of Hamas. In a move on Thursday, the White House imposed sanctions on the ICC, accusing the court of hindering Israel and other nations from exercising their right to self-defense. The White House further alleged that the ICC showed bias and disproportionate focus on Israel in its investigation of the conflict in Gaza.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, and took approximately 250 hostages into Gaza. According to the Hamas-run Gazan health ministry, over 46,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the conflict. A ceasefire agreement has since been reached, involving the release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is currently in the U.S., engaging in discussions with lawmakers. He recently met with President Trump at the White House. During his confirmation hearing in January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu on alleged war crimes could set a precedent that might be applied to other non-member nations, including the United States. Rubio expressed concerns that such actions could potentially target American service members and leaders in the future.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: “Trump to Sign Order Sanctioning ICC Over Treatment of Israel”
