Trump Hits ICC with Sanctions After Netanyahu Arrest Warrant

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Thursday imposing sanctions against International Criminal Court investigations into Israel, a close U.S. ally.

The U.S. nor Israel recognize the court. The court issued an order to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes committed against humanity by Hamas in Gaza in response to the attacks of Israel on Gaza in October 2023.

In the order Trump signed, ICC is accused of taking “illegitimate and baseless actions” against America and Israel and abusing their powers by issuing warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Galant, his former Defense Minister.

In the order, it stated, “The ICC has no jurisdiction over Israel or the United States of America, and that its actions against Israel and America had set a dangerous precedent”.

Trump acted while Netanyahu was in Washington. Trump and Netanyahu met at the White House Tuesday and Netanyahu spent part of Thursday with Capitol Hill legislators.

In its order, the U.S. states that it will impose “tangible and significant consequences” on those responsible for the “transgressions”. It may block assets and property and prevent ICC officials, and their families, from entering the United States.

Human Rights activists claim that sanctioning court officials would have a chilling effect and be against U.S. interests in other conflict zones where the court conducts investigations.

Charlie Hogle, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union National Security Project said victims of human rights violations all over the world turn to the International Criminal Court as they have no choice. Executive Order by President Trump will make it harder for victims to get justice.

Hogle said, “The order was an attack both on accountability as well as free speech”.

Sarah Yager, of Human Rights Watch, said in an interview conducted before the announcement, “You can disagree with the operation of the court, but this is beyond reproach.”

Like Israel, the United States is not one of the 124 members of the court.

These sanctions were lifted in 2023 by Khan who accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was the driving force of this turnaround. He organized meetings for Khan with GOP legislators, who were among the harshest critics of the court in Washington, New York, and Europe.

Graham says Khan betrayed him, and he promises to crush any court in a foreign country that tries to enforce a warrant of arrest for Netanyahu.

I never thought they would choose Israel as a target, because it is the country with the most independent justice system. “

“The legal theories that they use to attack Israel are without limit,” he added, “We’re next.”

Biden referred to the warrants as abominable and Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, has accused the court of antisemitic bias.

A major cyberattack last year prevented court employees from gaining access to files for several weeks.

Some European countries are pushing back. The Netherlands, in a statement late last year, called on other ICC members “to cooperate to mitigate risks of these possible sanctions, so that the court can continue to carry out its work and fulfill its mandate.”