President Joe Biden expressed his outrage on Monday regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants against Israeli officials for the Gaza conflict — despite having previously revoked President Donald Trump’s executive order against the ICC.
Biden responded to the ICC’s announcement of seeking warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant — as well as for three Hamas terrorist leaders — on Monday.
In a statement, Biden declared:
The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.
In April 2021, however, Biden essentially permitted the ICC to target Israeli — and American — soldiers and leaders for alleged “war crimes” in the fight against radical Islamic terrorists.
The executive order Biden revoked was a June 2020 directive by Trump, which had imposed sanctions on the ICC for attempting to investigate American and allied soldiers who were not ICC signatories, as noted by news sources on Monday.
In a statement at the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken recognized the ICC’s biases against the US and Israel, though he expressed optimism for “engagement with all stakeholders” and anticipated “a broad range of reforms” at the ICC.
Those reforms did not come to fruition.
Amal Clooney, a lawyer and wife of Hollywood star George Clooney, was among those consulted on the ICC arrest warrants.
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 12: Actor George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney attend the “Money Monster” premiere during the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 12, 2016 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
The Clooneys are scheduled to host a “star-studded LA fundraiser” for Biden next month.
