Trump, Congress looking to put suffocating sanctions on ‘Kangaroo’ ICC court over Netanyahu arrest warrant
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has found itself in hot water after issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants were in connection to their plans to root out Hamas terrorism in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 1,200 people, including over 40 Americans, were killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
In response to the arrest warrants, the Trump administration plans to initiate sanctions against the ICC judges who issued them, including the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan. The move comes after President Trump’s previous sanctions on the ICC forced the court to drop its threat to prosecute Americans for alleged crimes in Afghanistan.
The British chief prosecutor, Khan, is currently under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has vehemently denied. The ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders has been met with criticism and threats of sanctions from the U.S. and its allies.
Trump’s nominee for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, has promised a strong response to what he calls the ICC’s antisemitic bias. Senator Lindsey Graham has also warned allies that they could face sanctions if they support the ICC’s actions against Israel.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center has denounced the arrest warrants as a victory for terrorists and warned that democratic states could be next in the ICC’s crosshairs. Legal scholar Avi Bell has called for countries to withdraw from the ICC, impose sanctions, and forbid cooperation with the court.
The ICC, which was established in 2002, prosecutes genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. The warrants issued for Netanyahu and Gallant have sparked outrage and condemnation from European leaders, who have labeled the decision as incomprehensible and undermining the credibility of the court.
The U.S. and the European Union have classified Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization, and the ICC’s decision to equate Israeli leaders with terrorists has been met with backlash from world leaders. The threat of sanctions looms over the ICC, with the U.S. and its allies vowing to hold the court accountable for its actions.
In conclusion, the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders has sparked a diplomatic crisis and threats of sanctions from the U.S. and its allies. The court’s actions have been met with criticism and condemnation, with calls for countries to withdraw support and impose penalties on the ICC. The situation remains tense as the international community grapples with the implications of the ICC’s controversial decision.
