The U.S. State Department sanctioned three Palestinian NGOs for working with the International Criminal Court, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday.
The three organizations—Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights—have “directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent,” according to the department.
“This administration has been clear: The United States and Israel are not party to the Rome Statute and are therefore not subject to the ICC’s authority,” Rubio stated. “We oppose the ICC’s politicized agenda, overreach and disregard for the sovereignty of the United States and that of our allies.”
The Jerusalem-based research institute NGO Monitor applauded the sanctions, stating that all three groups have links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror organization.
“For many years, these organizations have been centrally involved in lawfare, not only against Israel but also against U.S. security interests,” NGO Monitor wrote. “These groups have also issued numerous concerning statements related to violence and antisemitism.”
“The U.S. action sets an important precedent for other European governments that continue to provide these organizations with large sums of taxpayer funds for their destructive activities,” the organization stated.
