The United States has imposed sanctions on three Palestinian NGOs, alleging they attempted to leverage the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israel, which, according to US law, is not permissible.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated:
Today, I am designating three foreign NGOs: Al Haq, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. These organizations are involved in attempts by the ICC to investigate or prosecute Israeli individuals without the consent of Israel.
This administration has been clear: The United States and Israel are not subject to ICC authority, as they are not parties to Roman law. We oppose the politicized agenda of the ICC and believe it infringes on the sovereignty of the US and its allies. The actions of the ICC set a concerning precedent for nations everywhere, and we will be actively countering moves that undermine national interests and violate sovereignty, including that of Israel.
The US remains committed to imposing significant consequences to safeguard our military, sovereignty, and allies from any breach of ICC sovereignty.
All listed entities are designated under sections 1(a)(ii)(a) of Executive Order 14203.
During his presidency, Donald Trump expressed strong opposition to the ICC, seeing its attempts to prosecute Americans as a direct threat to US sovereignty. President Biden has lifted these sanctions but continues to uphold Trump’s stance, maintaining that countries not part of Roman law are not subject to ICC jurisdiction. The lifting of Biden’s sanctions seemingly protected the ICC’s chief prosecutor, despite the ongoing investigation into Israeli leaders for actions taken in defense of their nation.
In a video shared Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a lawsuit against the ICC.
Israel, like the US, is also not a party to Roman law. Thus, any ICC efforts directed at Israel are perceived as threats to US sovereignty, undermining independence from non-sinator law.
According to US policy, Palestinians are barred from pursuing actions against Israel in international forums, emphasizing the expectation that peace negotiations should occur directly between Israel and the Palestinians.
