US House passes sanctions on the International Criminal Court over its actions related to Israel

The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister related to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The legislation, known as the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” passed with a vote of 243 to 140 and aims to penalize any foreign individual who investigates, arrests, detains, or prosecutes U.S. citizens or those from allied nations, including Israel, who are not members of the ICC.

The bill received support from 45 Democrats and 198 Republicans, with no Republican opposing it. Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated during a speech prior to the vote, “America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel.”

This vote marks one of the first actions taken by the new Congress, highlighting the strong backing for Israel among Republicans, who now hold the majority in both chambers. President-elect Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated on January 20 for a second term. The newly appointed Republican majority leader in the Senate, John Thune, has indicated that the act will be considered promptly in his chamber, allowing Trump to sign it into law soon after his inauguration. The ICC is a permanent institution that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression in member states or by their nationals.

The court has stated that its decision to issue warrants against Israeli officials aligns with its standard procedure in all cases, following the prosecutor’s evaluation that sufficient evidence exists to move forward. The court believes that promptly seeking arrest warrants could help avert further crimes.

Republicans in Congress have criticized the ICC since it announced arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense chief, Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 15-month conflict in Gaza. Israel has dismissed these allegations.

In June, the Republican-controlled House passed legislation aimed at sanctioning the ICC; however, the Senate, which was then under Democratic control, did not consider the measure.