US condemns ICC's Netanyahu arrest warrant; sparks political backlash
The United States strongly opposes the decision by the International Criminal Court to arrest Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council.
2:59 PM EST, November 21, 2024
The United States has expressed strong opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The United States fundamentally rejects the Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials," said an unnamed spokesperson for the National Security Council (NSC).
The NSC spokesperson emphasized that the U.S. administration is concerned about the ICC Prosecutor's haste and procedural errors that led to this decision. He added that the United States is discussing further steps with partner countries. Although the U.S. is not a member of the ICC, the Tribunal's decision has caused outrage among Israel’s supporters in Congress.
"We remain deeply concerned by the Prosecutor's rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision," the spokesperson conveyed.
Republicans outraged
Congressman Mike Waltz, the future U.S. national security advisor selected by Donald Trump, announced a strong response to the ICC's decision, emphasizing that Israel defended itself lawfully.
"The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government. Israel has lawfully defended its people & borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January," the congressman announced.
Senator Lindsey Graham warned that failing to respond to the ICC's decision could be a mistake that could affect the U.S. in the future. "If we do not act forcefully against the ICC after their outrageous decision to issue arrest warrants for the duly elected Israeli Prime Minister and former Minister of Defense, we are making a huge mistake, and I fear the United States is next," wrote the Republican senator on the X platform.
Arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The ICC in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, accusing them of war crimes related to the war in the Gaza Strip and the Hamas attack on Israel on October 6, 2023. The Tribunal found that Netanyahu and Galant deliberately deprived the Gaza population of means of survival.
