By News Arena Network
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) following its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The controversial move has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates and international allies.
Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC, and both countries have long rejected its jurisdiction.
The arrest warrant for Netanyahu stems from allegations of war crimes related to Israel’s military response in Gaza following the Hamas attack in October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including children.
Trump’s order accuses the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel” and alleges the court has abused its power by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” against Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
“The ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel,” the order states, adding that the court’s actions have set a “dangerous precedent.”
It warns of “tangible and significant consequences” for those responsible for the ICC’s “transgressions,” including asset freezes and travel restrictions on ICC officials, employees, and their families.
The announcement coincided with Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where he held talks with Trump at the White House and met lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Human rights advocates have criticised Trump’s move, warning that it undermines efforts to hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable.
Charlie Hogle, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project, said, “Victims of human rights abuses around the world turn to the International Criminal Court when they have nowhere else to go, and President Trump’s executive order will make it harder for them to find justice.
The order also raises serious First Amendment concerns because it puts people in the United States at risk of harsh penalties for helping the court identify and investigate atrocities committed anywhere, by anyone.”
Sarah Yager, Washington director of Human Rights Watch, added, “You can disagree with the court and the way it operates, but this is beyond the pale.”
The United States has long harboured suspicions about the ICC, fearing that its unelected judges could arbitrarily prosecute American officials.
A 2002 law even authorises the Pentagon to “liberate” any American or US ally detained by the court. Trump’s sanctions come despite a brief period of cooperation under President Joe Biden, who had lifted earlier sanctions imposed on the ICC’s former chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, after she launched investigations into war crimes in Afghanistan.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch critic of the ICC, expressed anger over the warrant against Netanyahu and vowed to “crush the court as well as the economy of any country that tries to enforce the arrest warrant against Netanyahu.”
“This is a rogue court. This is a kangaroo court,” Graham said in an interview. “The legal theory they’re using against Israel has no limits and we’re next.”
Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, accused the ICC of having an “antisemitic bias.”
The court’s ability to conduct investigations could be severely compromised by these sanctions, as it relies on international travel and access to US-developed technology to safeguard evidence. A cyberattack last year had already disrupted its operations.
Some European nations have pushed back against the US’ stance. The Netherlands issued a statement urging ICC member states “to cooperate to mitigate risks of these possible sanctions, so that the court can continue to carry out its work and fulfil its mandate.”
The US relationship with the ICC has been complex since the court’s inception. Although the United States participated in the negotiations that led to the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998, it ultimately voted against it.
President Bill Clinton signed the statute in 2000 but did not seek Senate ratification.
His successor, George W. Bush, effectively nullified the US signature and led efforts to secure agreements that would protect Americans from ICC jurisdiction.
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