Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged on Monday that President Joe Biden should reinstate the sanctions placed by President Donald Trump in 2020 on the International Criminal Court (ICC), which Biden lifted shortly after taking office in April 2021.
The broken & corrupt ICC is targeting Israel for defending itself.
The Biden Administration should immediately reinstate sanctions against the ICC.
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) May 20, 2024
As reported, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, stated on Monday his intention to charge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with war crimes in relation to their actions against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Khan also mentioned plans to charge three Hamas leaders. The prospect of prosecuting the democratically-elected leader of a U.S. ally responding to unprovoked terror has sparked outrage in both Israel and the U.S.
Biden had revoked Trump’s sanctions on the ICC and its officials, which were aimed at preventing the ICC from investigating U.S. soldiers and those of allied nations, including Israel. Neither the U.S. nor Israel are signatories to the Rome Statute, the treaty that grants the ICC its authority and jurisdiction. Despite recognizing the ICC’s bias against Israel and the U.S., Biden lifted the sanctions with a promise to reform the institution.
On Monday, President Biden expressed his dismay at the ICC warrants but did not mention his decision to revoke Trump’s sanctions. Biden has also reverted to some of Trump’s policies, such as listing the Houthis as terrorists.
