Biden denounces ICC for ‘outrageous’ implication of equivalence between Israel and Hamas

Washington
CNN
 — 

The Biden administration on Monday forcefully denounced efforts by the Worldwide Prison Courtroom to hunt arrest warrants for high Israeli officers and Hamas leaders, saying the court docket’s efforts put the terrorist group and a high US ally on equal footing.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan informed CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an unique interview on Monday that the worldwide tribunal is looking for arrest warrants for officers together with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar on costs of warfare crimes and crimes towards humanity for his or her respective roles within the October 7 assault on Israel and the following warfare that has left tens of 1000’s of Palestinians lifeless.

The prosecution staff can also be looking for warrants for Israel’s protection minister, Yoav Gallant, together with high Hamas leaders, Khan mentioned.

In a press release Monday, Biden referred to as the ICC’s efforts “outrageous.”

“Let me be clear,” the president mentioned within the assertion, “no matter this prosecutor may indicate, there is no such thing as a equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas.”

Talking at a White Home reception marking Jewish American Heritage Month later Monday, Biden reiterated his stance that the ICC’s pursuit of an arrest warrant is with out benefit.

“It’s clear Israel needs to do all it may well to make sure civilian safety,” Biden mentioned. “Let me be clear: What’s occurring will not be genocide.”

Khan’s pursuit of the warrants gave Biden – a longtime supporter of Israel and its proper to exist – an opportunity to talk strongly in favor of the US’ high Center Japanese ally at a time of tense relations between the president and Israeli management. In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett earlier this month, Biden put circumstances on US help to Israel for the primary time over Israel’s deliberate invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. Biden has additionally had a number of frank cellphone calls with the Israeli prime minister in latest months as he tries to persuade Netanyahu into pursuing choices that don’t contain a navy operation in a inhabitants middle.

The announcement marks the primary time that the ICC has sought an arrest warrant for the chief of a high US ally, and locations Netanyahu within the firm of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the late Libyan despot Moammar Gadhafi – each of whom have been topics of arrest efforts by the ICC.

Khan, the ICC prosecutor, batted down criticisms over the tribunal’s efforts to safe the warrants. “No one is above the regulation,” he informed Amanpour.

Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC. But when the court docket have been to grant an arrest warrant for Netanyahu or Gallant, the choice would make it extraordinarily troublesome for both Israeli chief to journey to any of the 124 international locations which are social gathering to the court docket’s legal guidelines, together with high US allies equivalent to Britain and Germany, which might compel member nations to cooperate with efforts to extradite these subjected to the warrants.

Information that the ICC is looking for warrants for the Israeli leaders led to condemnation from the US and a few of its allies. Britain mentioned the court docket’s efforts have been “not useful” in reaching a pause in preventing. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned america “basically rejects” the court docket’s announcement, saying it “may jeopardize” efforts to achieve a ceasefire and hostage launch deal between the combatants.

Biden administration officers additionally questioned whether or not the ICC had the jurisdiction to hunt these arrests.

Home Speaker Mike Johnson, describing the ICC’s efforts as “baseless and illegitimate,” mentioned Home GOP leaders would have a look at sanctions in response to the court docket’s choice. Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson John Kirby mentioned the Biden administration plans to remain in shut contact with members of Congress however stopped in need of committing assist for any Republican effort to levy new sanctions on the ICC.

Unbiased Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont — who caucuses with Democrats whilst his place on Israel is incessantly at odds with Biden’s — mentioned he supported the ICC’s choice. Sanders is among the nation’s most outstanding Jewish politicians and has been essential of Israel’s warfare effort.

“The ICC prosecutor is true to take these actions,” Sanders mentioned in a press release, including it’s “crucial that the worldwide neighborhood uphold worldwide regulation.”

Regardless of robust condemnation of the ICC efforts from Biden and Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, a number of senior Senate Democrats pointedly refused to take a place, underscoring the rising rift throughout the social gathering over Israel’s dealing with of the warfare.

Requested if she agreed with the ICC choice, Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan informed CNN’s Manu Raju: “I’d say that I’m not supportive of Netanyahu or Hamas, and I believe we’d be capable of transfer ahead rather a lot higher if each have been to go.”

However others aligned themselves with Biden.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, who faces a troublesome reelection in Ohio, criticized the ICC prosecutor. “I don’t see any ethical equivalence between the democratic authorities of Israel and a terrorist group like Hamas, none,” he informed CNN.

The condemnation of the ICC’s efforts places america in a fragile place. The USA is supporting a separate effort by the ICC to doc and examine Russian warfare crimes associated to its continued operations in Ukraine.

Kirby mentioned the US would proceed to assist these efforts.

“I’d remind everyone that it’s an precise warfare intention of Mr. Putin to kill harmless Ukrainian folks,” Kirby informed reporters Monday. “I imply, he’s intentionally concentrating on civilian infrastructure with the intention of killing harmless civilians.

“That’s not what the IDF is doing,” Kirby added.

Nonetheless, Kirby acknowledged, america continues to induce the Israeli authorities to be “extra discriminative, extra focused, [and] extra exact” in its Gaza operations.

This story has been up to date with extra particulars.

CNN’s Nikki Carvajal, Haley Talbot, Morgan Rimmer and Kristin Wilson contributed to this report.