The US House of Representatives has voted in favor of legislation that would impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after its prosecutor applied for arrest warrants against Israeli officials.
Recall, in May, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and three leaders of the Hamas terrorist movement. Netanyahu called the ICC prosecutor's decision “absurd” and said the move was directed against all of Israel.
The document was supported by 205 Republicans and 42 Democrats. The initiative was opposed by 155 representatives of the Democratic Party and not a single representative of the Republican Party. Republicans introduced the bill in Congress.
It is assumed that the bill on sanctions against the ICC is unlikely to pass a vote in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. The administration of US President Joe Biden has opposed the initiative. However, it shows steady support for Israel in the House of Representatives amid growing international criticism of Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Reuters writes.
NBC News notes that US President Joe Biden called the ICC prosecutor's demands “outrageous,” but that his administration has said it opposes the bill. The White House said that “there are better ways to protect Israel, preserve the U.S. position in the ICC and promote international justice and accountability.”
