Response to judicial ruling - House of Representatives in the U.S. backs penalties against International Criminal Court.
The United States House of Representatives has voted in favor of a bill that imposes sanctions on members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) following a request for an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The chair of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, declared on Tuesday that this decision highlights the US's commitment to stand by Israel. Despite this, it is doubts whether the Senate, the second legislative chamber mostly held by opposition Democrats, will accept the legislation.
United States' absence from the ICC
As per Johnson, this vote reflects the US's refusal to let "international officials" issue arrest warrants against significant Israeli politicians for unsubstantiated crimes.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan had asked for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside the leaders of the radical Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, on May 20, due to alleged crimes against humanity and alleged war crimes. The ICC's prosecutor's actions against Netanyahu and Gallant drew criticism from the US, with President Biden referring to the arrest warrant request as "shocking".
The White House issued a statement on Monday, stating that the US government opposes any sanctions against the ICC yet will not impose sanctions on the ICC, its staff, its judges, or those who support its work. In the statement, the administration also reiterated that it "rejects the imposition of sanctions against the International Criminal Court, its staff, its judges, or those who support its work."
If the panel of judges were to grant the arrest warrant request, the 124 ICC member nations would be expected to arrest the suspects as soon as they are in their territories. This could cause complications for Netanyahu and Gallant, for instance, within the EU. Notably, Israel's key partner, the US, is not a member of the ICC.
