‘Outrageous’ – Biden blasts ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders

Biden administration ‘fundamentally rejects’ ICC’s decision to push for arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the move ‘outrageous’ and ‘troubling.’

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

President Joe Biden on Thursday condemned the International Criminal Court at The Hague’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, calling the move “outrageous.”

On Thursday, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and slain Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, writing that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the three had violated international law during the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel.

In a statement issued by the White House Thursday evening, Biden rejected the attempt to draw equivalency between Israel and Hamas.

“The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”

The White House National Security Council also issued a statement condemning the ICC decision, calling it “troubling.”

“The United States fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials,” a NSC spokesperson said Thursday.

“We remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision.”

Republican lawmakers also castigated the ICC’s decision, with congressional Republican leaders pushing for sanctions against the court.

“The ICC’s decision to target America’s ally, Israel, is antisemitic, reprehensible, and completely ridiculous,” House Speaker Mike Johnson tweeted.

“It has absolutely no jurisdiction over Israel or the United States, and these illegitimate warrants are an attack on the very concepts of sovereignty and due process.”

Johnson noted that the lower chamber of Congress voted earlier this year to impose sanctions on the ICC, and urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to put the bill to a vote.