The incoming Trump administration’s nominee for national security advisor dismissed international arrest warrants issued on Thursday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and promised a “strong response” in January.
The International Criminal Court, which issued the warrants against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, “has no credibility, and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government,” wrote Mike Waltz, whom President-elect Donald Trump nominated last week to serve as National Security Adviser.
“Israel has lawfully defended its people and borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January,” Waltz, a Republican congressman from Florida, wrote on X.
The Department of State did not immediately issue a statement about the decision to issue an arrest warrant against the Israel leaders.
Lindsey Graham, the senior senator from South Carolina, called the ICC “the International Corrupt Criminal Court” on X, adding it has “acted in the most absurd and irresponsible manner possible.”
He noted that “there is a serious cloud of allegations hanging over the prosecutor,” referencing an internal ICC probe into sexual misconduct allegations against Karim Khan, the prosecutor who initiated the procedure that resulted in the warrants.
“The court is a dangerous joke. It is now time for the U.S. Senate to act and sanction this irresponsible body. The court defied every concept of fundamental fairness and legitimized a corrupt prosecutor’s actions,” Graham wrote. “Calling for an independent investigation of the prosecutor’s misconduct one day and issuing a warrant based on his work product the next day is an affront to any sense of fairness and the rule of law.”
Chuck Schumer, the outgoing Senate Majority Leader, “needs to pass the bipartisan legislation that came from the House sanctioning the Court for such an outrage,” wrote Graham, adding that U.S. President Joe Biden “needs to sign it.”
In addition to Netanyahu and Gallant, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Mohammed Deif, a longtime leader of the Hamas terrorist organization who was killed in July by the Israel Defense Forces.
Mayor of Dearborn posts his position
Referencing the Israelis, the court wrote in its decision on Thursday: “There are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
Israel has denied any attempts on its part to target civilians in Gaza. The court issued its decision on a request by Khan to go after Gallant and Netanyahu.
The ICC is not part of the United Nations. Its tribunal, the International Court of Justice, which like the ICC is also based in The Hague, is similarly reviewing criminal charges brought against Israel in connection with its war on Hamas in Gaza.
The United States and Israel are among the dozens of countries that have not signed the ICC charter and are therefore not subject to its rulings. However, countries that are, including member states of the European Union, are bound by the charter to enforce its rulings and arrest warrants.
Abdullah H. Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, Mich., announced that his city’s police would “arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they step within Dearborn city limits.” Hammoud urged other mayors in the United States to follow the example of his heavily Arab-American city.
“Other cities should declare the same. Our president may not take action, but city leaders can ensure Netanyahu and other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States,” he posted on X.
