Washington, D.C. – Once again, the U.S. is undermining international law. Following the introduction of bill H.R. 8282, the U.S. has made it clear that it has no intention of accepting the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his fellow minister.
The bill’s timing is dubious since it was introduced before Netanyahu visited Congress. With that, the Congress is determined to strengthen its relationship with Israel.
The charade of lawfulness will peak when Netanyahu delivers his address to the U.S. Congress. Although the date hasn’t been agreed upon and not all congresspersons will be present, it sends a clear message to the world that the U.S. will not hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crisis.
The U.S.’s close allies will likely follow its example and enforce the forthcoming sanctions—to what extent remains to be seen. This would also mean that the sanction against the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be on the agenda of the forthcoming G7 summit in Italy on June 13 – 15, 2024, if not directly, at least on the sidelines.
Six of the G7 countries are signatories to the Rome Statute, placing them in a difficult position. Can they effectively support the International Criminal Court (ICC) against U.S. sanctions? Despite this challenge, they have committed to safeguarding and maintaining the ICC, including its investigative and judicial rulings.