US House passes punitive legislation against ICC over arrest warrants for Israeli leaders

The U.S. House voted on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its unprecedented arrest warrants for Israeli leaders amid the war with the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza

The American lawmakers voted 243 to 140 in favor of the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” which calls for sanctions on ICC officials or related entities who support “any effort to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.”

Florida Republican Congressman Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the punitive legislation against the ICC.

“America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel,” Mast stated.

Most House Republicans and several Democrat lawmakers voted in favor of the legislation against the ICC. While there was no Republican lawmaker who opposed, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie abstained, arguing that the House “should not get involved in disputes between other countries.”

The proposed sanctions against ICC officials include revoking or blocking visas and banning U.S. property transactions. The Senate still needs to greenlight the new legislation before it can take effect.

In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” in the Gaza War.

The ICC stated there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”

Israeli leaders across the political spectrum have condemned the ICC's decision and have strongly rejected the charges.

This is the first time that the ICC has issued arrest warrants for democratically-elected leaders of any country.

The State of Israel and the United States have warned that the ICC's decision is a dangerous precedent for future arrest warrants against leaders of Democratic states who are defending their countries against global terrorism.

The ICC's decision has sparked significant divisions among member states. While some countries, such as Ireland and Spain, declared their intent to uphold the ICC's ruling and arrest Netanyahu should he enter their territory, others either opposed the decision or refrained from taking a clear stance.

In December, Poland initially indicated that Netanyahu would be arrested if he attempted to attend the upcoming Auschwitz 80th anniversary on Jan. 27. However, Polish President Andrzej Duda recently requested that the Polish government protect Netanyahu from being arrested.

While France has often criticized Israeli policies, French President Emmanual Macron argued in late November that Netanyahu has “immunity” from the ICC warrants as Israel is not an ICC member state and does not recognize its jurisdiction in Israel. Macron also emphasized the “historic friendship” between France and the Jewish state.

Germany has also indicated it would not comply with the ICC's request to arrest Netanyahu because of its Nazi past and commitment to protect Israel and the Jewish people after the Holocaust.

Hungary has openly criticized the ICC's move, citing concerns over its potential impact on international diplomacy and regional stability.