US lawmakers are pushing to sanction the International Criminal Court following prosecutorial pressure to seek arrest warrants against Israel.
Human rights groups are urging US President Joe Biden’s administration to oppose threats against the International Criminal Court (ICC) after its chief prosecutor’s decision to seek arrest warrants against Israeli officials have aroused the anger of Washington.
In a letter to Biden released Thursday, more than 100 organizations from around the world called on the U.S. government to “oppose any legislative efforts to undermine the ICC.”
“The ICC’s ability to deliver justice to victims requires full respect for its independence. A selective approach to judicial decisions undermines the credibility and ultimately the strength of the law as a shield against human rights violations and abuses,” the letter reads.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International USA and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights were among the signatories.
The letter was sent days after ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced on Monday that he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as well as for three senior Hamas officials.
Khan accused Israeli leaders of taking “criminal responsibility” for war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 35,500 Palestinians since early October.
These alleged crimes include intentional attacks on civilians, willful killings and starvation of civilians as a weapon of war, Khan said.
The announcement immediately drew the ire of pro-Israel lawmakers from the US Democratic and Republican parties, including Biden himself, who called Khan’s decision “outrageous.”
Some Republicans went further and called on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that would impose sanctions on ICC officials in response to arrest warrant requests.
“It is imperative that the Senate, in a bipartisan manner, proposes crippling sanctions against the ICC – not only to support Israel but also to deter future action against American personnel,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on social media.
During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested the Biden administration would be willing to work with lawmakers on legislation to penalize the international tribunal.
“I think we need to look at what appropriate action we can take to address, once again, this deeply flawed decision,” the top US diplomat said.
Shortly after taking office in 2021, Biden lifted U.S. sanctions on ICC officials that had been imposed by his Republican predecessor Donald Trump as part of the Democratic president’s efforts to reengage international institutions following his presidency. Trump.
“Our support for the rule of law, access to justice, and accountability for mass atrocities are important U.S. national security interests that are protected and promoted by engaging with the rest of the world to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” the Biden administration said. said at the time.
But the Biden administration has provided unequivocal diplomatic and military support to Israel during the Gaza war, despite widespread criticism and calls to condition U.S. aid to its main Middle East ally.
The United States provides at least $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel each year, and it has provided additional aid during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
At the same time, the United States has a tense relationship with the ICC, created under the Rome Statute to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity and other atrocities.
Neither the United States nor Israel are parties to the Rome Statute, nor do they recognize the jurisdiction of the Court.
Palestine, a non-member observer state to the United Nations, formally accepted the jurisdiction of the ICC in 2015, expanding the Court’s authority to investigate atrocities committed in the occupied Palestinian territory.
More than 100 human rights and civil society groups are calling #WE #Biden sustain #ICC independence and oppose sanctions against the Court and its officials.#JusticeMatters ⚖️
Read our letter here: pic.twitter.com/7GrPYyw1ka
– Liz Evenson (@liz_evenson) May 23, 2024
In Thursday’s letter, the rights groups called on the Biden administration “to ensure that any disagreements over the Court’s process are resolved through appropriate legal channels under the Court’s treaty.”
“We welcome your administration’s press statements in recent weeks indicating that it does not support ‘threats or intimidation’ against ICC officials,” the letter read.
“We urge you to oppose any legislative attempts to undermine the ICC and to make clear that, regardless of its views on specific ICC investigations, the United States continues to support independent international justice mechanisms. »