Trump unveils sanctions against International Criminal Court for Netanyahu arrest warrant
President Donald Trump signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, in response to its May 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The order – which was lauded by even some top Democrats – unveils financial sanctions and visa restrictions against ICC officials and their family members who support ICC investigations against U.S. citizens and allies.
The White House also signed executive orders on Thursday instructing the Justice Department to establish a task force dedicated to weeding out “anti-Christian bias,” and a review of all nongovernmental organizations that accept federal funds.
The ICC is an independent, international organization based in The Hague and established under the Rome Statute, an international treaty that took effect in 2002. The court oversees global issues including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Trump White House claims that the U.S. and Israel are not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC because the court poses threats to U.S. sovereignty and constitutional protections. Additionally, the White House has accused the ICC of politicization and said it has targeted Israel without holding regimes like Iran to the same standards.
In September 2018, Trump said that “as far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority.”
In May 2024, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, from the U.K., asked for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, whom Netanyahu fired in November 2024. The warrant paved the way for their arrest, should they visit any of the 124 countries that are party to the Rome Statute, including the U.K., France and Austria.
Khan also issued arrest warrants for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif, who have all since been killed by Israeli forces.
Khan said he issued these warrants against Hamas leaders for war crimes including murder, taking hostages as a war crime, torture and other inhumane acts, following the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Khan also said he issued the warrants against the Israeli leaders due to war crimes including starvation of civilians, directing attacks against a civilian population, persecution and other inhumane acts.
HOUSE PASSES BILL THAT WOULD SANCTION INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT FOR TRYING TO ARREST NETANYAHU
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, right, in May 2024 asked for an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which President Donald Trump, left, is now sanctioning the international organization over. (Getty Images)
In January, after Trump’s inauguration, the House also passed legislation that would sanction the ICC, but the measure failed to advance in the Senate.
A spokesperson for Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., noted that the failed Republican measure also included provisions unrelated to Israel, which led Schumer to vote against the bill. Those provisions included potential sanctions for American companies with contracts supporting the ICC’s tech functions – such as protecting the ICC’s computer network from Russian hackers.
Thursday’s executive order did not include similar sanctions.
Despite recent praise for the ICC due to its decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Schumer has said the organization’s anti-Israel bias had become too great to ignore.
“Leader Schumer has been crystal clear that the ICC needs to be reformed and reshaped due to its deep bias against Israel,” Angelo Roefaro told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “This EO seems to include the strong provisions that go after the ICC on Israel, but does not include the problematic extraneous provisions unrelated to Israel included in the Republican ICC bill that the Democratic offer sought to fix to protect the ICC’s work against Putin.”
Trump welcomed Netanyahu for a visit at the White House on Tuesday, where Trump signed an executive order reinstating his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. Trump also unveiled plans to rebuild Gaza, and described Netanyahu as the “right leader” for Israel.
“He’s done a great job and we’ve been friends for a long time,” Trump told reporters. “We do a great job also, and I think we have a combination that’s very unbeatable, actually.”
Netanyahu also voiced appreciation for his friendship with Trump and his support for Israel and the Jewish people.
“I’ve said this before, I’ll say it again,” Netanyahu said Tuesday. “You are the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. And that’s why the people of Israel have such enormous respect for you.”
Trump previously issued sanctions against ICC officials in 2020, signing off on an asset freeze and family entry ban against them stemming from an ICC investigation into alleged U.S. actions in Afghanistan.
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Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
