US Congress passes bill on sanctions against ICC over Israel investigation

(Patria) - The US House of Representatives voted to pass a largely symbolic bill calling for sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) after its prosecutor filed a request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Hague-based court's prosecutor said Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant should be arrested on charges of waging war in Gaza, along with three Hamas leaders, AFP reported.

The legislation, the Combating Illegitimate Court Enforcers (CLUE) Act, which is backed by almost all Republicans and about a fifth of Democrats, would ban ICC officials involved in this case from entering the US, revoke their visas and restrict any US-based asset transactions.

“Today’s vote draws a line in the sand against the lawless actions of ICC officials,” House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement.

“The United States stands firmly with Israel and refuses to allow international bureaucrats to issue baseless arrest warrants against Israeli leadership for phony war crimes.”

The bill is considered a “messaging bill,” however, as it is unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate and could be vetoed by President Joe Biden, who has said he “strongly opposes” it.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said last month he was seeking warrants for the two Israelis, as well as for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif, over suspicions of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The 124 member states of the ICC will ultimately decide whether to enforce any warrants issued by its judges. Neither Israel nor the US are members. While the White House has criticized the ICC and Biden called the arrest warrant request
“outrageous,” US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said last week that sanctions were not “the right approach.”

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed that policy on Tuesday, telling reporters ahead of the vote: “Our view as an administration is that we do not support sanctions. We do not believe that it is appropriate at this time.”

Netanyahu said he was “surprised and disappointed” by the US stance in an interview broadcast on Sunday, amid strained Washington-Israel relations over the rising death toll in Gaza.