U.S. House of Representatives Passes Sanctions on ICC Over Israel Arrest Warrants

The United States House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday, January 9th, to sanction officials from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The bill is a response to the ICC’s investigation into the actions of Israeli leaders during the ongoing Gaza conflict.

The “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act” passed with strong bipartisan support, 243 votes to 140. The legislation, co-sponsored by Florida Representative Brian Mast, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Texas Representative Chip Roy, seeks to impose sanctions on foreign individuals or entities that assist the ICC in investigating or prosecuting citizens of countries such as the U.S. and Israel, that do not recognize the court’s authority. The U.S. and Israel are not signatories to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

Representative Mast condemned the ICC’s actions, calling the court a “kangaroo court” and emphasizing the U.S. commitment to standing by Israel. “America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel,” he said.

The arrest warrants issued by the ICC in November 2023 accused Netanyahu and Gallant of war crimes related to Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza. These actions have resulted in over 46,000 Palestinian deaths, many of them women and children. The United Nations has described Israel’s conduct in Gaza as “consistent with the characteristics of genocide,” while the ICC stated that it was investigating both Hamas and Israeli officials for potential violations.

While the bill gained significant support from Republicans and some Democrats, it faced opposition from human rights groups and lawmakers. Critics, including Representative Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, warned that the sanctions would undermine the ICC’s ability to prosecute human rights violations globally. “All those challenges, and this is what the out-of-touch elitist billionaire Republican Party wants to waste time on,” McGovern said.

Despite this opposition, the bill moved to the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) promised swift action. “We’ll soon fulfill that promise and have a vote to support our ally Israel,” Thune said. The bill is expected to face a filibuster challenge in the Senate, requiring 60 votes to pass.

The U.S. and Israel’s stance on the ICC has been a point of contention for years. Both countries have argued that the court does not have jurisdiction over them, as neither is a party to the Rome Statute. However, the court maintains that it has jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of a state party, such as Palestine, which has been a member of the ICC since 2015.

As the ICC continues its investigation, the debate over its authority and the potential consequences for international justice remains heated.