Report Reveals Clooney’s Frustration with White House Reaction to ICC

Actor George Clooney reportedly contacted a senior aide to President Joe Biden to express his concerns about the president’s criticism of the International Criminal Court’s investigation into Israel. This investigation was a case that his wife, Amal Clooney, had been involved in, as reported by the Washington Post.

George Clooney spoke with Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, after Biden denounced the ICC’s pursuit of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, according to the Post.

Clooney was worried about the potential impact of sanctions against the ICC on his wife, the Post noted. There was also concern within the Biden campaign that George Clooney might pull out of an upcoming fundraiser in Los Angeles featuring Barack Obama, Jimmy Kimmel, and Julia Roberts.

A prominent supporter of the Democratic Party, George Clooney has made significant donations, including $500,000 to Biden’s campaign in 2020. Last year, Clooney was appointed by Biden to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

Amal Clooney, an international human-rights lawyer, was enlisted by ICC prosecutors to assist with the investigation. She examined evidence of alleged war crimes and offered legal analysis, as stated in a release by the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

“I do not believe that any conflict should be exempt from the law, or that any perpetrator should evade accountability,” Amal Clooney stated. “I endorse the significant action taken by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to deliver justice to victims of atrocities in Israel and Palestine.”

Additionally, the ICC announced that it was pursuing arrest warrants against Hamas for its involvement in the conflict.

The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday to impose sanctions on the ICC, with 42 Democrats joining all Republicans in support of the measure. Biden has indicated he would veto the legislation, and it is unlikely to be brought to a vote in the Senate.

The proposed legislation would impose broad economic sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals and judges linked to the ICC, as well as their family members.