‘Target Israel And We Will Target You’ – US Senators Send Strong Warning To ICC Prosecutor
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan
In a bold move, a dozen Republican US senators have issued a stern warning to the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the potential issuance of arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The senators threatened severe American sanctions if the ICC proceeds with such actions, as detailed in a letter addressed to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, published on Monday.
The one-page letter, obtained by the online news website Zeteo, argues that any arrest warrants against Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials “are illegitimate and lack legal basis,” and cautions that carrying them out would result in “severe sanctions against you and your institution.” The letter clearly states, “Target Israel and we will target you,” emphasizing that these warrants would align the ICC with “the largest state sponsor of terrorism and its proxy.” The senators stress there is “no moral equivalence between Hamas’s terrorism and Israel’s justified response.”
The letter was signed by Senators Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell, Katie Boyd Britt, Marsha Blackburn, Ted Budd, Kevin Cramer, Bill Hagerty, Pete Ricketts, Rick Scott, Tim Scott, and Ted Cruz. The sanctions they propose would target ICC employees and associates, extending to visa sanctions for the families of ICC personnel.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen sharply criticized his Republican colleagues, accusing them of “thuggery” against the ICC. In a statement to Zeteo, Van Hollen said, “It is fine to express opposition to a possible judicial action, but it is absolutely wrong to interfere in a judicial matter by threatening judicial officers, their family members and their employees with retribution. This thuggery is something befitting the mafia, not U.S. senators.”
Despite the threats, the ICC has maintained its stance on independence and impartiality. It has urged an end to the intimidation of its staff, although it has not publicly commented on the potential warrants. The White House, while affirming that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over Israeli officials, has also opposed the threats from US lawmakers against the court’s personnel.
This development comes amid a prolonged and intense conflict between Israel and Hamas. Since a deadly cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in nearly 1,200 Israeli casualties, Israel has launched extensive military operations in Gaza. The conflict has led to over 34,700 Palestinian deaths, predominantly among women and children, and more than 77,600 injuries, with widespread destruction and severe shortages of basic necessities.
Israel is also facing separate accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s top court. An interim ruling in January suggested it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to halt such actions and ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.