Members of Congress denounce ICC warrants for Israeli officials as “sham”

Reacting to the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” members of Congress shared their thoughts.

The Hague-based court, known for investigating and trying individuals charged with serious crimes like genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression, issued arrest warrants for the Israeli officials alongside Hamas terrorist leaders.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) expressed his support for Israel, stating that while Israel provides aid and protects innocent lives, Hamas terrorists engage in hostage-taking and use children and hospitals as shields and armories. He criticized the ICC for what he called “sham charges” against Israel’s leadership.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) emphasized that the United States does not recognize the International Criminal Court and warned of consequences for targeting allies like Israel. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) questioned the legitimacy of the arrest warrants, noting that Israel is not an ICC member and therefore not under its jurisdiction. He suggested that the decision was politically motivated and not based on justice.

Torres also criticized the ICC for criminalizing Israel’s self-defense measures against Hamas, highlighting the terrorist group’s use of civilian population and infrastructure for military purposes. Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) called the decision a mistake that would harm the ICC’s credibility.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) rejected any moral equivalence between Hamas terrorists and the Jewish people defending themselves. He urged the Biden administration to condemn the ICC’s action and reaffirmed America’s support for Israel.

Omri Ceren, from Sen. Ted Cruz’s office, noted a pattern of international organizations targeting Israel under Democrat administrations and called for a firm stance against such actions.

This JNS.org report was reprinted on Newsmax with permission from the Jewish News Syndicate.