The legislation is being drafted in a retaliatory measure against the ICC to prevent it from issuing arrest warrants against Israeli officials. It could also include sanctions against certain ICC officials, according to Axios.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday that the United States did not support the ICC investigation, questioning the court’s jurisdiction.
“We don’t think they have any competition,” Jean-Pierre added.
Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also previewed the introduction of a House bill reflecting Senator Tom Cotton’s proposal to impose sanctions on ICC officials who are part of targeted investigations. to the United States and its partners.
Rep. Brad Sherman also said the United States should “think about whether we remain signatories” to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
“We have to think about talking to some of the countries that have ratified (the treaty) if they want to support the organization,” he said.
Pro-Israel Democratic lawmakers Rep. Ritchie Torres and Sen. John Fetterman have also expressed concern about potential court orders, urging that both Congress and U.S. President Joe Biden take action to block them.
“I know Congress will ensure consequences for such an absurd decision,” Sherman said in a post on a social media platform.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson has criticized the potential arrest warrants as “shameful” and “illegal,” warning of serious repercussions if they are not addressed.
“If left unchallenged by the Biden administration, the ICC could create and assume unprecedented power to issue arrest warrants against American political leaders, diplomats and military personnel,” Johnson said.
He urged the Biden administration to “immediately and unequivocally demand that the ICC withdraw” and “use all available tools to prevent such abolition.”
The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, is conducting investigations into war crimes allegedly committed by the Israeli military.
It has been investigating allegations of war crimes involving Israeli military factions since 2014.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly requested Biden’s intervention to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants.
“As we have said publicly many times, the ICC has no jurisdiction in this situation and we do not support its investigation,” said a White House National Security Council spokesman, who declined to comment on the details of Netanyahu’s call with Biden. Axios.
Although neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC, Israeli officials face a potential risk of arrest in several other countries due to the imminent issuance of arrest warrants.
By joining the ICC, most European nations are required by law to detain people subject to an ICC arrest warrant.
Israel, currently facing genocidal crimes before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has killed 34,488 Palestinians since last October, when it waged a bloody war in the Gaza Strip. Another 77,643 Palestinians have also been injured and around 8,400 could be trapped under the rubble.