The House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation imposing sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court, criticizing Israel's move to charge top leaders with war crimes over its attacks on Hamas in Gaza, launching a frontal attack on the tribunal.
The bill directs the president to freeze assets and deny visas to any alien who provides material or financial assistance to the court's efforts to “investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute a defendant.” Protected persons are defined as all current and former military and government officials of the United States and its allies who have not consented to the court's jurisdiction, such as Israel.
The measure is one of several introduced by Republicans in the House last year but died in the Democratic-led Senate, and is certain to take effect now that Republicans control both houses of Congress and Mr. Trump takes office. January 20.
Last year A a similar measure drew some bipartisan support In the House of Representatives, however, it still faced opposition from many Democrats, who joined Republicans in criticizing the ICC's move to prosecute Israeli leaders, but called the sanctions too broad and ineffective. With Republicans now in charge, obstacles to passage of the bill appear to have been removed.
“The ICC's mischievous actions only enable terrorists who want to wipe Israel off the map, and they cannot be allowed to stand unchecked,” Republican Senator and Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said this week. “In November, I promised that if Leader Schumer didn't bring up the ICC sanctions bill, the Republicans would.” And we will soon fulfill this promise and vote to support our ally Israel.”
The 243-to-140 vote in the House, where 45 Democrats joined all Republicans in support of the bill, reflected significant bipartisan tension among lawmakers over the court's decision to prosecute Israeli officials for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity along with Hamas leaders. A deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, sparked a bloody response in Gaza. strip.
“America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is trying to imprison the prime minister of our great ally,” said Brian Mast, Republican of Florida and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He accused the court of anti-Semitism, obstructing the success of the Israeli military and obstructing efforts to free Israeli and American hostages held by Hamas.
“This bill sends an incredibly important message to the world,” Mr. Mast added. “Don't stop America or our allies from trying to bring our people home. You will not be given quarter and you will still not be welcomed on American soil.''
The United States has sent billions of dollars worth of weapons to Israel since the start of the armed conflict, despite international condemnation of Israel's assault on Gaza and accusations by human rights groups that its actions there amount to genocide. Efforts to broker a cease-fire have eluded the Biden administration. Mr. Trump said this week that if Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages with the swearing-in ceremony“All hell will break loose in the Middle East.”
Republicans in Congress have been trying to pressure the court since May of Attorney General Karim Khan. announced that he was looking for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-defense minister, Yoav Gallant, along with Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza; Ismayil Haniyeh, head based in Qatar; and its supreme military commander Muhammad Deif. The House of Representatives first passed a bill to impose sanctions on judicial officers and their associates. just two weeks later.
In November the court issued warrants for Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Gallant and Mr. Deif for war crimes and crimes against humanity. At that time, it was confirmed that Mr. Sinwar and Mr. Haniyeh were killed by Israeli forces. There is also Israel claimed to have killed Mr. Deif.
Proponents of the bill have argued that the sanctions are a necessary rebuke of the court's move to equate Israeli leaders with the highest ranks of terrorist groups such as Hamas. They also insisted that the measure was a significant repudiation of what they saw as an overreach by the court because, like the United States, Israel does not consent to its jurisdiction.
“It is critical not only to our friendship with our ally Israel, but also to our own national security and the protection of our men and women in uniform,” said Chip Roy, R-Texas and the bill's author. floor. He argued that if the United States fails to impose sanctions on the court, the US military could be targeted for its conduct in foreign conflicts.
Mr. Roy added that the ICC “should have no authority over our people, over the prime minister of Israel.”
Most Democrats opposed the legislation, arguing that it sought to punish too many people for the decision.
“Republicans want to sanction the ICC because they don't want the rules to apply to everyone,” said Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts. “There is no international. the right of revenge and what we are seeing in Gaza is revenge”.
The International Criminal Court claims jurisdiction over alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by nationals of states that have recognized the court or committed in countries that have recognized the court. The Palestinian territories did so in 2015, several years after the United Nations recognized Palestine as an observer state.
The United States and Israel were among the seven countries that voted against the creation of the criminal court in 1998. Although both countries later signed its founding document, the Rome Statute, neither country ratified it.