On Thursday, President Trump issued an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) over pursuit of war crime cases against Israeli leaders and their former defense ministers.
In turn, Trump accused the ICC of engaging in “illegal and unfounded actions” against Israel and the United States.
“Neither country recognizes the ICC's jurisdiction. Both countries are thriving democracy with military forces that adhere to war laws,” Trump ordered. The former Biden administration said it was “rational to assess” that Israel had violated international humanitarian law with US weapons.
Trump issued the order shortly after hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC. The move marked one of Trump's first actions to negate the rare and successful Democrats' actions to block Congressional law.
Last spring, the ICC told Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Joab Gallant over allegations that Israel was using hunger as a war weapon in the Gaza Strip amid more than 15 months of war with Hamas. An arrest warrant was issued.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas Commander Mohamed Deif, who was responsible for the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza. Hamas killed an estimated 1,200 people and took 250 hostages during the assault in October.
“The United States will impose specific and serious consequences on those responsible for ICC violations,” the order reads, and “there is a risk that ICC officials, employees, agents and their relatives will block property.” Was stated. Assets and US entry halt
A lawmaker who supports Israel criticized the ICC for Overreach and said the court lacked jurisdiction as Israel is not a party to the law of the court, a treaty of the court. These lawmakers, along with Israel, argue that its judicial system is robust enough to investigate and prosecute war crime allegations.
They also denounced the court for ambiguity between the United States, Israel and the European Union, which was designated as terrorist groups by Israel, the democratic nations responding in self-defense following the attacks on October 7th.
Republican lawmakers have called for Trump to unilaterally impose sanctions on the ICC after failing to advance legislation in Congress.
Democrats did not vote in favor of the ICC sanctions bill brought on the floor by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). The bill failed to reach the 60 vote threshold required to pass in the final tally of 54-45.
Senator Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.), a Senate Democratic leader, criticizes the bill as “inadequately drafted and deeply problematic,” despite anger at the ICC over issuing a warrant for arrests against Israel. did.
Democrats criticized the Republican drafted bill for having dangerous implications for the functioning of the court. It opens leaders of other countries to sanctions, risks penalties against US companies that contract with courts on cybersecurity and other matters, and blocks adjustments to other investigations, such as war crimes. The lawsuit against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sudan's atrocities and human rights violations by the Taliban.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (DN.H.), a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on the Senate floor on Thursday following a meeting with Netanyahu.
“What we saw was that my Republican colleagues didn't want to compromise. It was done for the ICC,” she added, adding that she was willing to resume negotiations.
Trump's court approval repeats the lawsuits he filed during his first term, punishing the court for a war crime investigation into Afghanistan's US military. He used “national emergency authorities” in an executive order that criticized the courts for overtaking in an investigation into US “allies.” The order was not named Israel.
In 2021, the court said it would “deprive” of an investigation into the actions of US service members in Afghanistan.
