The decision by the Biden administration not to back penalties imposed by a war crimes court demanding his arrest has taken Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by surprise and disappointment, according to Netanyahu.
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has filed arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, a member of the War Cabinet, and officials of Hamas. On Tuesday, the White House announced that it would reject the congressional push spearheaded by Republicans to condemn the court. That went against the previous indication from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had informed lawmakers last week that the court’s ruling was “profoundly wrong-headed” and that the administration will collaborate with Congress to consider implementing sanctions.
In an interview scheduled to air Sunday on Sirius XM’s “The Morgan Ortagus Show,” Netanyahu criticized the new position. In advance of Wednesday’s broadcast, AWN was able to secure a snippet of the interview.
“The United States said that they would, in fact, back the sanctions bill,” Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu states in an interview. “Just a few days ago, there was bipartisan consensus, so I thought that was still the American position.”
Speaking to host Morgan Ortagus—a former Trump administration State Department spokesperson—he said, “Now you say there’s a question mark, and frankly I’m surprised and disappointed.”
These remarks add fuel to the fire of animosity between Israeli and American officials, who have long disagreed on the best course of action for Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
How appropriately to react to the arrest warrants is a matter of discussion between the Biden administration and Congress. A sanctions bill is being pushed by Republicans, and Democrats are debating whether to join the effort or not. Initially, President Joe Biden criticized the ICC’s decision, calling it “outrageous” and stating that it unfairly compared the behavior of a democratic state to that of a terrorist group.
A bill to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigating and prosecuting American citizens and American allies, including Israel, was presented earlier this month by Republicans Elise Stefanik of New York and Chip Roy of Texas. The ICC investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, genocide, and other violations of international law. U.S. non-membership in the court did not dampen calls to enact the bill or a similar one after its introduction.
A person’s visa and access to their U.S. property could be revoked under the Stefanik-Roy bill. Now that the president is against sanctions on the court, it is uncertain whether those reprimands or others would be part of a plan that passes Congress with flying colors.
The most recent stance taken by the government was articulated by White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday: “Sanctions on the ICC are not an effective or appropriate tool to address U.S. concerns.” Nevertheless, she emphasized that the government would “collaborate with lawmakers to find alternative solutions to deal with the ICC overreach.”
Regarding the investigation of alleged war crimes committed by Israelis in Palestinian territories and American troops in Afghanistan, the Trump administration levied sanctions on the former ICC prosecutor, including the revocation of visas and the banning of property access. Blinken deemed those fines “inappropriate and ineffective” when they were lifted by the United States in 2021.
“The administration seems to have decided that, despite its discomfort with the prosecutor’s choice, it does not want to replicate the Trump approach,” said David Bosco, an ICC expert and University of Indiana professor. “This is about the appearances, but it’s also likely related to the profound doubt that sanctions would have any positive effect.”
The court has accused Netanyahu and Israeli authorities of deliberately blocking humanitarian supplies from reaching Gaza from the start of the war. In the interview, Netanyahu rebutted these claims.
He asserted that Israel was being attacked by Hamas militants and not by the Palestinian people, and that half a million tons of food and medicine were being sent into Gaza. With three thousand calories per person, there’s more than enough food. This is nearly 1,000 more than what is needed.
The war was started in reaction for Hamas’ attack on October 7th, which killed 1,200 people and took 250 captive. He added that Israel is going “out of our way” to safeguard civilians during the conflict. Israel warns people to flee danger by sending “millions” of text messages, dropping pamphlets, and making phone calls.
His position was that the accusations were totally unfounded.
The 2.2 million people living in Gaza are facing what appears to be famine-like conditions, according to relief organizations who have accused Israel for months of limiting the amount of help that enters the enclave. A fire broke out at a displaced persons camp outside Rafah, killing at least 45 people and injuring scores more, after Israel allegedly launched a small bomb targeting two Hamas operatives over the weekend. Now that Israeli tanks have positioned themselves in the heart of Gaza City, they can wipe out what little resistance there is from Hamas.
Despite the increasing number of casualties among civilians in Rafah, the Biden administration maintained on Tuesday that the operation launched by Israel did not exceed the president’s “red line” or cause a shift in policy toward the ally.
