The American left-wing Mondoweiss website says that US President Joe Biden and Congress are destroying international law for the benefit of Israel and the future interests of the United States, and this means that the last remnants of hope people have in an international system of justice may disappear.
In a report by writer Mitchell Pletnikow, the website pointed out that Biden criticized the request to issue orders to arrest Israeli leaders and said that this creates a “false equivalence” between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). The website commented that Biden, with this statement, is taking a clear position against the rule of law.
The report explained that the United States once again confirms its refusal to hold itself and its allies accountable, but applies strict standards in this regard to its opponents. Just over a year ago, Biden said that the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Russian President Vladimir Putin was “justified” because he had “clearly committed war crimes.”
The idea is to use the court and similar institutions for American purposes while depriving them of their authority over the United States and its allies. Thus, the Biden administration and most of the foreign policy bubble in Washington supported the court when it issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin two years ago.
American threat to Khan
Last week, the report says, before requesting arrest warrants, a group of 12 Republican members of the US Senate directly threatened International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan in a letter objecting to bringing charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The letter was signed by some of the Senate’s most prominent Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, and Tim Scott.
The letter threatened sanctions against the International Criminal Court and Khan himself, saying: “Target Israel and we will target you.” The writer described this language as befitting the characteristics of mafia rather than government officials, although it is increasingly difficult to tell the difference; They concluded the statement by saying emphatically: “You have been warned.”
The writer referred to what Khan told CNN’s Christian Amanpour that a “senior elected official” told him that “this court was built for Africa and for thugs like Putin.”
Protecting their interests
The report cited US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that he welcomed working with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on what Graham described as “a bipartisan effort to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court, not only out of anger against Israel but to protect Our interests in the future.
The report commented that the bullying method practiced by American officials is very blatant, and risks alienating many of the United States’ closest allies. But it is clear that Biden and Blinken fully intend to find a more creative way to pressure the ICC to deny Khan’s request to issue arrest warrants, or, if that fails, to withdraw them.
He said that, as is the case with the case before the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide, the outcome of the ICC’s request will not have any impact on the ground in Gaza, but this drama could have a profound impact on the nascent structure of international justice. .
It does not bear the scrutiny of the law
The writer went on to explain that, of course, Israel cannot adhere to international justice any more than blatant authoritarian regimes or other racist states can, as its status as an ethnic state cannot withstand a neutral and balanced international system, and its brutal treatment of the Palestinians over the past 76 years The past and the massive violence it has unleashed on the civilian population of Gaza since October 7 cannot withstand the scrutiny of the law.
He said Karim Khan may have been offended by the court being described as built for Africa and Putin, but that is how the court has actually worked so far, and this is the moment when change can begin.
If Netanyahu and Gallant face trial at the International Criminal Court, some much-needed trust could be restored, although there is still a long way to go.
The last vestiges of hope
But if this is not the case, and if the Court is intimidated by US threats and sanctions, as it has appeared in the past, this may mean that the last vestiges of hope people have in an international system of justice may disappear. There is a real danger that if the ICC is seen as unable or unwilling to follow through on the process initiated by its Prosecutor, the entire international system will lose hope of legitimacy at all.
The site concluded its report by saying that the world has indeed failed Gaza, just as it has failed Palestine for a century, and if there could be at least some justice after the event occurred, there might at least be something to build a better world on.
