Staff Reports
As Israel faces the possible threat of arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC), the White House is not taking a strong stand to defend its important ally in the Middle East. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned that the Biden administration does not support the potential ICC case against Israel, stating that the court does not have the jurisdiction to bring such a case against Israel. The United States and Israel are not part of the ICC’s founding treaty, and Israel is unlikely to hand over its senior government members for prosecution on what are seen as false accusations. The potential arrest warrants from the ICC could further fuel anti-Israel propaganda by those who support terrorists.
Why the International Criminal Court's Case Against Israel Is a Farce
https://t.co/l0P14iIUkL— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 2, 2024
The Biden administration should be clearly condemning the ICC’s potential case against Israel and explaining why the court does not have the jurisdiction to target the Jewish State as it defends itself against Iran and its proxies – actual terrorists committing war crimes. However, Team Biden has failed to take this strong stance. This may be due to President Biden’s efforts to secure support from those who are critical of Israel, such as Rashida Tlaib’s supporters.
The ICC is meant to complement and not replace national criminal systems, prosecuting cases only when there is a lack of a robust judicial system to ensure accountability. The United States has its legal systems in place to ensure accountability, and similarly, Israel has a military justice system to uphold the rule of law and bring accountability to its armed forces. As per the ICC’s own standards, it should only prosecute cases when states lack or do not enforce laws in a genuine way. Israel does have a military justice system and uses it genuinely, so the potential case against Israel goes against the ICC’s own standards.
President Biden should publicly address this and emphasize the importance of following the standards set by the ICC’s charter if the court wants to be taken seriously as an arbiter of international justice.
