Outrageous, Biden Calls ICC Warrants Against Israeli Officials

US President Joe Biden on Monday strongly criticized the International Criminal Court’s move to seek arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, labeling it “outrageous.”

Biden cited an alleged absence of equivalence between “Israel” and Hamas as he affirmed unwavering support for “Israel’s” security.

“And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.” Biden said in a statement.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed similar sentiments by questioning the court’s jurisdiction and its process in applying for the warrants.

“Fundamentally, this decision does nothing to help, and could jeopardize, ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement that would get hostages out and surge humanitarian assistance in,” Blinken said.

Blinken said “Israel” is ready to cooperate with the court, noting the prosecutor’s scheduled visit to “Israel.” But the decision to announce charges on television instead raised doubts about the investigation’s legitimacy and credibility.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s earlier announcement of arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his Security chief, and three Hamas officials followed over seven months of genocide in Gaza. Khan listed those crimes under articles 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute, some of which are “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare,” wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, willful killing or murder as a war crime, “intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population” and “persecution as a crime against humanity.”

“These and other circumstances call into question the legitimacy and credibility of this investigation,” Blinken said.

The Trump administration previously accused the ICC of encroaching on US sovereignty when it initiated an investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan. Sanctions targeting ICC staff were imposed, including then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, but were lifted by the Biden administration in April 2021.

Earlier today, Senator Lindsey Graham pledged to lead the charge in Congress towards imposing sanctions on the ICC.

“I will feverishly work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both chambers to levy damning sanctions against the ICC,” Graham said.