Trump sanctions International Criminal Court, calls it 'illegitimate'.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of engaging in "illegitimate and baseless actions" against the U.S. and Israel. The measure enforces financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families involved in ICC investigations targeting American citizens or allies.
Trump signed the order while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington. The move followed the ICC’s decision last November to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and a Hamas commander over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The court found "reasonable grounds" to believe Netanyahu, his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif bore "criminal responsibility" for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hamas later confirmed Deif’s death in an Israeli airstrike.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, prosecutes genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, Taliban leaders for persecuting Afghan women, and Myanmar’s military leader for crimes against the Rohingya Muslims. While over 120 nations, including the UK, recognize the court’s jurisdiction, the U.S. and Israel do not.
The Netherlands, which hosts the ICC, expressed regret over Trump's order. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp emphasized the court's role in fighting impunity. A White House memo criticized the ICC for creating a "shameful moral equivalency" between Hamas and Israel by issuing both warrants simultaneously. Trump's executive order argued that the ICC’s actions "set a dangerous precedent," potentially exposing Americans to "harassment, abuse, and possible arrest."
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar praised Trump’s move, calling the ICC’s actions "immoral" and "lacking legal basis." The U.S. has consistently rejected the ICC's jurisdiction over its citizens and accused the court of constraining Israel’s right to self-defense while ignoring Iran and anti-Israel groups. Zachary Kaufman, a former clerk for the ICC’s first chief prosecutor, warned that Trump’s sanctions could significantly impact the court by freezing assets and barring officials from the U.S.
During his first term, Trump had sanctioned ICC officials investigating U.S. military actions in Afghanistan, a decision later reversed by President Joe Biden. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impose new sanctions on the ICC, but the bill stalled in the Senate. Meanwhile, nine nations, including South Africa and Malaysia, formed the "Hague Group" to defend the ICC’s authority.
Trump’s executive order described the U.S. and Israel as "thriving democracies" with militaries that "strictly adhere to the laws of war." In his final weeks in office, President Biden also condemned the ICC's warrant for Netanyahu, calling it "outrageous" and denying any equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
The ICC prosecutor’s case alleges that Netanyahu and Gallant share responsibility for war crimes, including starvation as a method of warfare, and crimes against humanity such as murder and persecution. It also asserts their responsibility for attacks on civilians.
Trump's signing of the executive order coincided with his controversial plan to have the U.S. "take over" Gaza, resettle its Palestinian population, and transform the territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East." After facing backlash from Arab leaders and the UN, he reiterated the idea on social media, suggesting that Israel would hand Gaza over to the U.S. once fighting ended. His post left unclear whether displaced Palestinians could return.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that any displacement would be temporary, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as an "interim" measure during reconstruction. Netanyahu endorsed Trump’s vision for Gaza, and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to prepare for the "voluntary departure" of Gaza’s residents by land, sea, and air.
During his Washington visit, Netanyahu met with lawmakers from both major U.S. parties and gifted Trump a golden pager, referencing Israel's operation against Hezbollah last September, which resulted in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries, including civilian casualties, according to Lebanese officials.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0