Why did Trump hit the World Criminal Court with sanctions? | Israel-Palestine News of Conflict
US President Donald Trump slapped sanctions At the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the body of attacking Israel and the United States.
In the executive command posted late on Thursday, Trump called the court “illegitimate” and set financial and US visa limit for the ICC staff who help ICC investigations against the USA of his allies.
Trump said Arrest warrants ICC issued in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoava Gallant, accusing them of war crimes in Gaza, were “unfounded”. However, analysts described his command for sanctions as “an attack on the rule of law.”
Here’s what we know so far:
What does the executive command say?
Trump’s Executive command He claimed that the ICC “abused his power” by issuing an arrest warrant of Netanyahu and Gallanta, and stated that a headquarters in The Hague had taken “illegitimate” actions against the US and his “close ally” Israel.
Trump’s command, which matches Netanyahu’s visit The United States approves sanctions and restrictions such as freezing assets and banning travel against ICC officials who want to process US citizens and “allies”.
The White House of Israel defined as “a democratic state whose army is strictly adheres to the law of war.”
“Actions taken by the International Criminal Court against Israel and the United States has set a dangerous precedent,” he continued, accusing ICC of “malicious behavior that threatens to violate US sovereignty and undermine national security and foreign policy.”
Neither is Israel nor the signatories on the Roman Statute now, a contract that ICC established in 2002.
How did the previous US administration respond to arrest warrants?
In November, the then President of the US Joe Biden called an ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu “amazing”.
Apart from the Netanyahu and Gallant’s flyers, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for military commander Hamas Mohammed al-Masri, known as Mohammed Deif, “for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes” in Israel 7. October 2023 When Hamas led the attacks on the armies and villages in the south of Israel, which killed 1,139 people and more than 200 were trapped in Gaza.
In a statement, Biden said, “Whatever ICC can imply, there is no equalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against the threat of her safety.”
Israel said he killed Deifa in July in southern Gaza. Hamas confirmed his death last week. ICC accused him with two other Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh – Both were also killed.
9 January, the US House of Representatives adopted a legislation that would sanction the ICC in voting 243-140.
“America brings this law because the Konguru court seeks to arrest the Prime Minister of our great federal Israel,” said representative Brian Mast, a Republican chairman of the Home Foreign Affairs Committee, in a speech before voting.
The only legislators who did not support the bill were Democrats. But 45 party members voted for that. 28. January American Senate blocked legislation.
How will sanctions work?
Indicated by entry into the US can be denied. They could also have a frozen American property and deny them financial affairs with “US persons” and entities, including banks. Entities outside the US could also lose access to the US financial system if they violate sanctions.
Sanction injuries can result in financial sentences and prison.
Trump’s executive order targets the ICC staff responsible for the “transgression” of the court. Sanctions can also be applied to family members as well as those who help with ICC investigations.
The names of individuals targeted by sanctions were not published. But Previous sanctions Against ICC – published in 2020 during Trump’s first term – they were focused on the prosecutor and assistant who was conducting an ICC investigation into alleged war crimes of US soldiers in Afghanistan.
Will sanctions quench ICC investigations into Israeli war crimes?
The installation of ICC officials under sanctions could interfere with investigations in progress by making it difficult for them to travel and access funds. Trump procedures also risk discrediting international efforts for war criminals to be in justice.
Yossi Mekelberg, a professor and an Israeli analyst from London’s Chatham House, told Al Jazeera: “This is an attempt to intimidate ICC as organizations and those who work for it.” He added that the executive order could “scare people to work with the ICC”.
Saul Takahashi, a professor of international human rights at Osaka Jogakuin University in Japan, told Al Jazeera that the indirect implications of Trump’s move “can be very serious”.
“The executive order speaks of not only the sanctioning of the ICC actual employees … but also to the people who cooperate with the ICC in the investigation of Israeli officials,” he said. “We are talking about human rights activists, victims, etc. These kinds of people can be excluded from the US or face punishments.”
Neve Gordon, a professor of law at London’s Queen Mary University and a member of the Management Board of International Initiatives for State Crime, said he did not expect “an extremely brave” ICC staff to withdraw from his investigations.
Gordon said Al Jazeers: “Given their [ICC staff members’] The history of resistance and their willingness to stand up and speak the truth to power to support the law, despite the years of pressure, I doubt that this executive order will make them attract them. “
Will this order interfere with the functioning of the ICC?
In a statement published on Friday, ICC said that Trump’s executive order was trying to “harm his independent and impartial judicial work”, but he pledged to “continue to provide justice and hope for millions of innocent victims of crimes around the world.”
“We invite our 125 state parties, civil society and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights,” he added.
International financial institutions could refrain from working with court as a result of sanctions.
“They couldn’t be higher,” Gordon said. “Although sanctions are focused on ICC and its independent and impartial court work, they actually represent a direct attack on an international legal order after World War II.
“By directing the only international legal institution that has an executive capacity related to the international legal regime after World War II, the executive command of the International Humanitarian Law, including the four 1949 Geneva Convention, the 1951 genocide convention and a number of international conventions related to the laws of war and human rights.
“It’s an attack on the rule of law.”
Mekelberg said Trump’s move sends a “cold message to other international organs that if they are not respected now, I can suffer.”
However, Takahashi said that the direct impact of American sanctions on ICC would most likely be “limited”.
The Court “is not in the United States. It is in The Hague in the Netherlands,” Takahashi told Al Jazeera, adding that only the ICC staff is in danger of ICC.
What were the reactions to the turn so far?
Trump’s executive command has provoked the expressions of alarm from all over the world. European Council President Antonio Costa said sanctions “disrupt the international criminal system as a whole”.
Sanctioning of ICC is threatening the independence of the court and undermines the international criminal system as a whole. https://t.co/zk0lsnb1p0
– António Costa (@eucopressent) 7 February 2025
The Netherlands said she was “complaining” with a command, declaring that the work of the court was “essential in the fight against impunity.” Amnesty International marked the “reckless” move.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Israel applauded Trump’s move. On x, Netanyahu published: “Thank you, President Trump, on your bold ICC executive order. He will defend America and Israel from anti -American and anti -Semitic corrupt courts. “
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
Thank you, President Trump, on your bold ICC executive order. He will defend America and Israel against the anti -American and anti -Sametic corrupt courts that has no jurisdiction or basis for participating in the laws against us.– Prime Minister of Israel (@israelimpm) 7 February 2025
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said “Strongly” praised Trump’s executive command.
“ICC aggressively conducts chosen leaders of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East,” Saar wrote on X. “ICC has no jurisdiction – Israel and now are not parties in Roman statute and are not members of the ICC. They manage democracy with military players strictly adhere to international law. “
