White House Clarifies Opposition to Bipartisan Bill Sanctioning ICC Officials

The White House has clarified that they do not support the bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives aimed at sanctioning senior ICC officials. The administration believes that imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) is not an appropriate response to the Prosecutor’s Office’s request for an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Republican Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had proposed passing a bipartisan bill as a form of deterrence in response to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office’s announcement. However, a coalition of 121 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International America, have called on President Joe Biden to oppose such measures, citing concerns that they would undermine the ICC’s mandate.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously mentioned his willingness to collaborate with Republicans in Congress to respond in an “appropriate” manner to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office’s request. However, he emphasized that any action taken must be done carefully and take into account the potential consequences.

The ICC Prosecutor’s Office recently issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohamed Diab al Masri, and Ismail Haniye for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. These warrants were related to the October 7 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli offensive in Gaza. Despite these developments, Kirby emphasized that Israel does not believe it has committed any crimes within its borders that would warrant international prosecution.