On Thursday, President Trump signed an order imposing sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), stating that restrictions will apply to individuals working on investigations threatening the national security of the US and its allies, including Israel. The document states that the court's actions regarding Israel and its preliminary investigation into the US "create a dangerous precedent," risking international criminal prosecution of current and former US organization employees, writes The New York Times.
The sanctions include blocking real estate and asset transactions, as well as banning ICC officials and their family members from entering the US.
In November last year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Galant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "The ICC unjustifiably claimed jurisdiction and began a preliminary investigation into US personnel and some of its allies, including Israel, and subsequently abused its powers," the order states.
Neither the US nor Israel recognizes the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, but in 2015 the court admitted Palestine, giving it the right to consider "international crimes" committed in the Gaza Strip.
The presidential order was adopted after Democrats blocked a Senate bill that provided for sanctions against officials associated with the tribunal, as the bill could apply not only to a wide range of court employees but also to American companies working with it. As Senator Chuck Schumer stated, the president's order excludes "problematic extraneous provisions" unrelated to Israel, which were included in the bill rejected by Democrats.
Meanwhile, Vincent Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, called the sanctions a direct attack on the rule of law.
"The broad reach of the executive order is intended to embolden criminals worldwide and hinder the pursuit of international justice against the most powerful," his statement reads.
Photo: The New York Times