The United States is not imposing sanctions on the International Court of Justice.
The International Criminal Court's Chief Prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister, Joav Galant, causing a significant political shake-up. Criticism is also coming from the United States, but the US government has stated they will not impose penalties on the institution.
The White House expressed their concerns about the "rash" actions of the Chief Prosecutor in requesting warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials, but also stressed that they would not support sanctions against the International Criminal Court, its staff, its judges, or those who support its work. The US government is taking a different approach by introducing a bill in the House of Representatives that would impose sanctions and visa restrictions on foreigners who support the court's investigations and prosecutions relating to these cases. The White House believes there are more efficient methods to support Israel and promote global justice and accountability. They plan to work with Congress on these alternate options.
This request came in May, when the Chief Prosecutor sought warrants for Netanyahu, Galant, Gaza Strip Hamas leader Yahya al-Sinwar, and other Hamas representatives for alleged crimes against humanity. At the time, President Biden voiced the US government's disapproval of the prosecutor's actions. He labeled the approach as "disgraceful" and emphasized that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. The United States is not a member of the Court.
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Joe Biden criticized the approach of the International Criminal Court's Chief Prosecutor for seeking warrants against high-ranking Israeli officials, labeling it as "disgraceful." Despite this, the USA, under Biden's leadership, has not indicated support for imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court itself, as evidenced by the lack of action against the institution.
