Former PresidentDonald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, escalating tensions between the US and the global tribunal.
Netanyahu was charged with war crimes by the ICC over Israel’s martial action in Gaza following the Hamas strike in October 2023, which neither the US nor Israel acknowledge. The issue has resulted in tens of thousands of Arab deaths, including kids.
The ICC has no authority over the United States or Israel, according to the purchase, which condemns the court for placing a “dangerous law” on Netanyahu and previous defence minister Yoav Gallant’s warrants. Trump’s actions come as Netanyahu travels to Washington, where he met with politicians following sooner in the week’s White House discussions.
Punishment and social consequences
The executive order imposes severe sanctions on those responsible for the prosecution of Israeli officials by the ICC, including travel bans and asset freezes for ICC leaders and their families. These measures, according to critics, does impede efforts to establish global responsibilities.
According to Charlie Hogle of the ACLU, “victims of human rights abuses turn to the ICC when they have nowhere else to go.” This policy threatens completely speech and righteousness.
Congress divided over ICC’s part
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key figure in shifting US policy toward cautious ICC engagement, now vows to” crush the jury” after its proceed against Netanyahu.
” This is a renegade court”, Graham said in December. ” I never imagined they’d come after Israel, which has one of the most impartial legal systems on the planet”.
Vladimir Putin was recently charged by the ICC with war crimes in Ukraine, a walk the US applauded. However, the judge’s expansion of circumstances to Israel and Palestine has reignited republican suspicion in Washington.
ICC’s success at play?
The punishment was stifle ICC operations by limiting travel and exposure to US systems. The court, which was attacked last year by a cyberattack, is currently facing growing opposition from its allies in Europe, who are now looking for countermeasures to keep it in operation.
Since its establishment in 1998 as a result of the Rome Statute, the US has had a contentious relationship with the ICC. Trump previously imposed sanctions on ICC authorities in 2020 over investigations into US deeds in Afghanistan; President Joe Biden after lifted those sanctions. With Trump then doubling down on the ICC’s trust, the court finds itself at a crossroads in international justice.
