Senator Threatens ICC with Sanctions Over Netanyahu’s Arrest Warrant
Senator John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, announced on Sunday that he would support sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it does not retract its application for an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Thune, who is expected to become the Senate Majority Leader in January 2025, stated that the Senate should act swiftly to implement sanctions if the current leadership fails to do so.
Thune expressed his concerns on social media, saying, “If the ICC and its prosecutor do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, the Senate should immediately pass sanctions legislation, as the House has already done on a bipartisan basis.” He emphasized that the Senate Republicans stand firmly with Israel and will prioritize related legislation in the next Congress if Majority Leader Chuck Schumer does not take action.
The ICC had previously announced arrest warrants against Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity following the attacks on October 7, 2023. It is believed that the three Hamas leaders have since been killed.
Thune’s remarks come in conjunction with a bill introduced by Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas, aimed at imposing sanctions on ICC prosecutors pursuing actions against U.S. allies, including Israelis. Although the U.S. does not recognize the ICC’s authority, it has previously taken measures to oppose the court’s actions.
In 2020, the Trump administration responded to ICC investigations into U.S. forces by imposing sanctions, affecting several individuals connected to the court. These sanctions were said to have significant impacts, causing concern among organizations that work with the ICC.
Richard Goldberg, a former member of the National Security Council during the Trump administration, indicated that the previous sanctions influenced the ICC’s actions, implying that they made them reconsider investigations into Israel and the U.S. He cautioned, however, that simple sanctions may not deter ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, from pursuing the case against Netanyahu, suggesting that such actions could be seen by Khan as a point of pride.
Goldberg recommended a broader approach, urging lawmakers to target the ICC as a whole rather than just individual prosecutors. He argued that doing so might compel other countries, like Japan and Germany, to reconsider their relationships with the ICC for fear of sanctions affecting their financial contributions.
The ICC typically makes decisions on arrest warrants within three months, although a clear timeline for the current situation is still uncertain. The last instance of an arrest warrant for a head of state was against Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the decision was reached within a month of the application.
