Incoming majority leader says Senate will sanction ICC unless case against Israelis dropped

Senator John Thune says the US must pass legislation threatening the International Criminal Court with sanctions if it seeks arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others.

“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,” tweets Thune, who will become the majority leader of the Senate in early January when Republicans officially take over Congress.

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. If Majority Leader Schumer does…

— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) November 17, 2024

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has asked a pre-trial panel at the Hague to approve his request for arrest warrants against Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas officials who have since been killed by Israel. Khan alleges that war crimes may have been committed during fighting in Gaza.

Thune indicates he is happy for current majority leader Chuck Schumer to pursue such legislation sanctioning the ICC, but says if he does not “the Senate Republican majority will stand with our key ally Israel and make this – and other supportive legislation – a top priority in the next Congress.”