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Why ICC bid for arrest warrant against Netanyahu angers US

Published : Saturday, 25 May, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 351
Khandaker Apon Hossain
There are 124 member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC). United States is not listed member of ICC. The world is witnessing the dualism of US. Both of the support to ICC activities and the threat of sanctions are the contradictory policy of US. US support to the ICC when arrest warrants are issued against adversaries for war crimes. But when an arrest warrant is issued against a US ally, the country feels nervous. Its a conflicting attitude of US. The matter is like that, the judgment is acceptable if the palm tree is mine.

On March 17, 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Commissioner for Childrens Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. US support for this decision indirectly legitimizes all of the ICCs activities. ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has proposed the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Galant on May 20, 2024. It has been proposed to issue an arrest warrant based on various anti-humanity allegations including destruction, obstruction of humanitarian relief supplies, creation of artificial famine as one of the heinous methods of war, planned attacks on Palestinian civilians as a state policy. It is also proposed to issue arrest warrants against Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Deif and Ismail Haniya.

Since this proposal, the United States has been unhappy with the ICCs activities. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has described such a decision by the ICC as an arbitrary decision. In the meantime, Anthony Blinken has expressed the intention of imposing US sanctions against the ICC. Anthony Blinken also announced to work together with the US legislators of regardless of the party. The Republican Party has long pushed for ICC officials to be taken under US sanctions. Anthony Blinkens recent comments could lead to a vote soon on whether to impose sanctions on the ICC. The United States can accept the ICC complaint against Israel in any way.

The USs opposition to the ICCs decision and the offensive comments already legitimize Israels sabotage. In a three-sentence statement, US President Joe Biden said, "The ICC prosecutors request for an arrest warrant against Israeli leaders is absurd. Let me be clear, no matter what the ICC prosecutor wants to say, Hamas and Israel cannot be lumped together. "We will always stand by the country against Israels security threats." The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent international body established by the Rome Statute of the ICC (1998) to try individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICC makes judgments regardless whether of US support or not.

Since October 27, 2023, the brutal Israeli aggression in the name of ground attack on Gaza is still ongoing. Various attempts are being made for a ceasefire. Nothing can stop the destruction of Israel. Israeli forces have already killed more than 38,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Gazas infrastructure has been completely destroyed. By stopping the delivery of humanitarian aid, Israel has put a shoe on the shoulders of the world humanity. As a result, famine has occurred in various parts of Gaza. Still, the United States, which claims to be the guardian of the world, feels weak towards the dehumanized Israel. And so the ICCs proposal to issue an arrest warrant is spreading the threat of sanctions.

The Israeli government has also been accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICCs arrest warrant for war crimes has put more pressure on the Israeli government. Norway has announced the arrest of Netanyahu as the first country in Europe to welcome this ICC proposal. France and Belgium issued a statement expressing their support for Karim Khan. According to France, Israel killed many innocent people in the name of "self-defence". It needs to be judged. The same goes for Belgium. Human rights organizations have also welcomed this decision. Karim Khan and his allies claim that Hamas has violated basic human rights. Israel also continues to fight indiscriminately in the name of self-defence without complying with international humanitarian law. This is exactly why an arrest warrant is necessary. Again, the support of 143 countries to include Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly and the sympathy of European countries for Palestine has become the main reason for the anguish of Israel and the United States.

Lawyers of the victims of South Africa and Gaza filed a lawsuit against Israel in the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, for genocide, atrocious crimes against humanity, and war crimes. According to Netanyahu, Karim Khan is trying to awaken anti-Semitism in the worlds minds. The US presents itself as Israels eternal friend. Anyone who speaks out against Israeli atrocities automatically becomes an enemy of the United States. Iran is an anti-Israel state, so the United States is also considering Iran as its enemy. Even on May 13, 2025, regarding the India-Iran Chabahar Port Agreement, US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a tone of caution, "If anyone is thinking of establishing business relations with Iran, they should be wary of possible sanctions." It is only a matter of time before the US imposes sanctions on the ICC. Where there is US warns of sanctions over India-Iran general deal there is top targeted ICC in the eye of US.

This is not the first time that the US threatening of sanctions and to show disrespect to the International Criminal Court. Earlier on September 10, 2018, US National Security Adviser John Bolton termed the International Criminal Court as illegitimate. John Bolton threatened to impose US sanctions on the judges and prosecutors there if the trial of US soldiers started in this court.  However, the ICC is still not swayed by the threat of the United States. A special aspect of US foreign policy is sanctions. Any country involved in activities that undermine US policy and interests is threatened with sanctions if it falls on the US suspicion list. They are forced to remain neutral in the field by fear of sanctions. In fact, a strategy to win the state without war is the threat of prohibition. One of the tools of modern warfare is sanctions.

A unilateral US embargo is simply an expression of US hostility towards a country. Since 1998, the US has imposed economic sanctions on more than 20 countries. According to Daniel T. Gieswald, countries against which U.S. sanctions have actually resulted in no behavioral change. Rather, they have prevented US companies from operating there. Due to this, the poor people of the countries under the sanctions have been deprived of economic opportunities. US sanctions were imposed on North Korea in 1950 for alleged human rights abuses and nuclear program.

Cuba in 1958, Iran in 1979 and a second term in 1987, Syria in 1986, Venezuela in 2019, and on December 10, 2021, Bangladeshs Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) came under US sanctions for alleged human rights violations. According to a most recent statement on the US State Department website, the United States has imposed sanctions on former army chief of Bangladesh retired General Aziz Ahmed for alleged involvement in corruption. The ban also includes his family members. The ban has declared Aziz Ahmed and his family members ineligible to enter the United States.

The writer is a teacher, Cantonment Board High School, Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment, Ghatail, Tangail


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