Senate Republicans Threaten International Criminal Court Prosecutors!

Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell would protect the Devil if he was prime minister of the ethnostate of Israel.

The party of "law and order" is not the Republican or Democratic Party. The lawmakers both have zero respect for the Constitution. The constituents are always left behind. Before you cast a vote for any individuals to the House, the Senate, a governorship, a state legislation or the President of the United States, please look at the issues that matter

I was an open minded voter at one time. Now I became a single issue voter. Israel is that red line for me.

I can no longer be on the side of the Democratic Party or even embrace the Republican Party.

If President Joe Biden does win a second term, I will become an independent. If Donald J. Trump becomes president again, I will still become an independent. If any third party or Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. becomes the president, I will still become an independent.

Threatening international bodies like the ICC is the behavior of lawless states, which is precisely what our government will become if it punishes an international body for daring to prosecute war criminals. We urge @POTUS & the Senate to condemn this letter. https://t.co/5RNP2ZGNjH

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) May 6, 2024

The International Criminal Court is considering charging Benjamin Netanyahu, Isaac Herzog and Israeli officials for war crimes. U.S. lawmakers quickly denounced it and warned the ICC that they are playing a dangerous game.

A letter was leaked with 12 U.S. Senators signing off on it claiming that if the ICC carries out the criminal charges while ignoring Iran, Syria, China and Russia, then members of the court could face sanctions and a permanent ban to the United States.

The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court.

The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement on Friday that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence its officials must cease immediately.

While the prosecutor’s statement did not mention Israel, it was issued after Israeli and US officials have warned of consequences against the ICC if it issues arrest warrants over Israel’s war on Gaza.

“The Office seeks to engage constructively with all stakeholders whenever such dialogue is consistent with its mandate under the Rome Statute to act independently and impartially,” Khan’s office said.

“That independence and impartiality is undermined, however, when individuals threaten to retaliate against the Court or against Court personnel should the Office, in fulfillment of its mandate, make decisions about investigations or cases falling within its jurisdiction.”

It added that the Rome Statute, which outlines the ICC’s structure and areas of jurisdiction, prohibits threats against the court and its officials.

Over the past week, media reports have indicated that the ICC might issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the country’s conduct in Gaza.

The court may prosecute individuals for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The Israeli military has killed nearly 35,000 people in Gaza and destroyed large parts of the territory since the start of the war on October 7.

News of possible ICC charges against Israeli officials led to an intense pushback by the country and its allies in the United States.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu released a video message rebuking the court. “Israel expects the leaders of the free world to stand firmly against the ICC outrageous assault on Israel’s inherent right of self-defence,” he said.

“We expect them to use all the means at their disposal to stop this dangerous move.”

In Washington, several legislators called on President Joe Biden to intervene and thwart any ICC action against Israel.

“It would be a fatal blow to the judicial and moral standing of ICC to pursue this path against Israel,” Democratic Senator John Fetterman wrote in a social media post this week.

In 2021, the Biden administration lifted US sanctions against ICC officials that had been imposed by former President Donald Trump.

Israel and the US have not ratified the Rome Statute, but Palestine, a permanent observer state at the United Nations, has accepted the court’s jurisdiction.

The court has been investigating possible Israeli abuses in the occupied Palestinian territory since 2021. Khan has said his team is investigating alleged war crimes in the ongoing war in Gaza.

In October, Khan said the court had jurisdiction over any potential war crimes committed by Hamas fighters in Israel and by Israeli forces in Gaza.