The House , on Thursday passed a bill that would impose restrictions on , International Criminal Court , officials in retribution for their release of an arrest warrant last month against Israel’s president for his military activities in the , Gaza Strip.
The bipartisan voting, 243-140, in favor of the policy showed that supporting , Israel , in its military response to the , Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by the Palestinian militant group  , Hamas , continues to draw majority support on , Capitol Hill , yet as most , House Democrats , voted against the bill.
There were 45 , Democrats , who voted for the regulations, similar to the 42 who voted for a nearly identical type next summer.
House Rules ranking member , Jim McGovern , of , Massachusetts , was the only Democrat who spoke against the costs during the hourlong conversation. That was because some in his meeting were across village at the , Washington National Cathedral , for the express cremation of past President , Jimmy Carter. To hold politicians who were present at the company, the vote was held available for two hours.
On the day of Carter’s death, McGovern claimed it was inappropriate for politicians to vote on a bill to punish ICC officials for alleged Jewish violations of Israeli human rights. During his lengthy post-presidency, the 39th leader had a close relationship with his support for individual freedom.
” The Republicans think this is so very important, for an incident that we have to question it during the first week of , Congress, during Jimmy Carter’s death, by the way, which is unpleasant considering his report on truly standing up for human freedom, which is the reverse of what this act does”, McGovern said.
McGovern said , Republicans , were showing their interests at a time when Americans were dealing with more pressing concerns, such as the weather change-influenced large wildfires in the , Los Angeles , place or the almost 40 million Americans who don’t have enough to take.
” I actually listened to people in my district … and I asked them what they want , Congress , to work on. Not once, never ever have I heard them talk about sanctioning the ICC as one of their priorities”, he said.
Republicans , said their ICC sanctions legislation, sponsored by Rep.  , Chip Roy , of , Texas, who also sponsored last year’s bill, was a necessary response to what they view as , the Hague-based court’s prosecutorial overreach.
” The International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction over the people of , the United States, should have no authority over our people, no authority over the prime minister of , Israel. Yet, it is extending into the people of Israel’s business in defending their interest against violent attack by , Hamas, which we define as a terrorist entity”, Roy said in floor remarks.
Neither , Israel , nor the , U. S.  , are members of the ICC.  , Republicans , and some , Democrats , are outraged by the court’s November decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister , Benjamin Netanyahu , and his former defense chief,  , Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity for their handling of the war in , Gaza.
Without a forceful response to the precedent the ICC is setting by going after , Israel, the thinking goes, the court may one day hand down indictments against current and former , U. S.  , officials for alleged human rights crimes in , Afghanistan.
Roy’s legislation would require the president within 60 days to freeze assets and impose travel bans on any ICC officials involved in bringing indictments against “protected” persons, which the bill defines as current and former members of the , U. S.  , military and the , U. S.  , government as well as citizens of foreign allies that are not party to the ICC. The sanctions would be applied to members of the ICC’s immediate families as well as to those who have provided financial or technical assistance to the court in support of its investigation and prosecution of Israeli, American, or American citizens.
” America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally,  , Israel, who is not only responding to an enemy…who still holds 100 hostages, scores of bodies of those that they murdered ( following the , Oct. 7 , attack ), including seven of my fellow Americans” , , House Foreign Affairs , Chairman , Brian Mast, R-Fla, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said in floor remarks. The ICC’s arrest warrants serve as justification for the debunked accusations of Israeli war crimes in an effort to stop Israeli military operations’ overwhelmingly successful operations.
The ICC has defended its indictments as appropriate since it recognizes , Palestine , as a member country even though the , U. S.  , and , Israel , don’t recognize Palestinian sovereignty. In addition to intentionally launching military assaults on civilians in Gaza, Netanyahu and Gallant are accused of war crimes, including using starvation as a means of combat.
” Prime Minister Netanyahu has an absolute right to defend his people, but there is no international right to vengeance and what we are seeing in , Gaza , is vengeance”, McGovern said. Have we all just given up on the concept of human rights? At least 45, 000 people have been killed in the war in Gaza”.
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