From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
US lawmakers said threatening ICC over Israel arrest warrants; speaker: Move would be ‘lawless’
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US Congress members from both parties have warned the International Criminal Court that Washington will retaliate against the court if it issues arrest warrants against top Israeli officials, Axios reports.
The report says legislation on the matter is already being worked on, citing House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, as expecting a bill to sanction ICC officials but adding: “We hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Meanwhile, US House Speaker Mike Johnson slams the reported intention to issue arrest warrants over the Gaza war.
“It is disgraceful that the International Criminal Court is reportedly planning to issue baseless and illegitimate arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials,” Johnson says in a statement.
“Such a lawless action by the ICC would directly undermine US national security interests. If unchallenged by the Biden administration, the ICC could create and assume unprecedented power to issue arrest warrants against American political leaders, American diplomats, and American military personnel, thereby endangering our country’s sovereign authority,” Johnson adds.
The Times of Israel Community.