Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed on Friday the executive order signed yesterday by his counterpart in the US, Donald Trump, to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC), a court he described as “anti-Semitic and anti-American” and which has an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
“Thank you, President Trump, for your courageous executive order against the ICC. It will defend the United States and Israel from a corrupt anti-American and anti-Semitic court that has no jurisdiction or basis to wage legal war against us,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement today.
“The ICC has waged a ruthless campaign against Israel as a rehearsal for action against the United States. President Trump’s executive order protects the sovereignty of both countries and their brave soldiers,” the president continued.
The document includes sanctions against the ICC - created by the Rome Statute with the mission of trying people accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide around the world - for actions against the United States and its allies: a NATO member country or a prominent partner that does not belong to that organization.
The order includes financial restrictions and restricting visas to travel to the United States for ICC individuals, as well as their immediate family (partner and children), who collaborate in the court's investigations against US citizens or allies of Washington.
While stressing that Washington remains committed to accountability, the ICC is urged to respect its and other countries' decision not to subject its personnel to the court's jurisdiction.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Friday accused the court of “obsessively pursuing” both Israel and its leaders, saying that the international court “operates without jurisdiction” since neither Israel nor the United States are member countries (nor are China or Russia).
“Israel and the United States are prosperous democracies with armies that respect international law. The actions of the ‘court’ are immoral and have no legal basis,” Saar continued.
In late November, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Nentayahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, as those most responsible for the alleged commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza since at least October 8, 2023.
The judges also approved an arrest warrant for Mohamed Deif, head of Hamas' military wing and eliminated by Israel during the offensive in Gaza.