Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Thune (R-S.Dak.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) have issued a joint statement in response to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) announcement regarding the application for arrest warrants for democratically-elected Israeli officials.
In their statement, the Senators expressed concern that the ICC’s actions could undermine efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the Middle East. They highlighted the potential risks to sensitive negotiations aimed at securing the release of hostages, including American citizens, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
“These actions by the ICC jeopardize efforts to bring about sustainable peace in the Middle East. It puts at risk sensitive negotiations to bring home hostages, including Americans, and surge humanitarian assistance,” the statement reads.
The Senators criticized the ICC’s decision to seek arrest warrants, arguing that it falsely equates Israel’s democratic governance with Hamas’ autocratic rule over Gaza. “To state the obvious: Israel is a functioning democracy, while Hamas is a terrorist organization,” they asserted.
The statement also noted that ICC representatives were scheduled to be in Israel to arrange meetings between Israeli officials and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s team to discuss allegations and concerns. The Senators supported this approach as it aligns with the principle of complementarity, which suggests that a nation’s legal system should address issues first before international bodies intervene.
“The ICC’s precipitous action in applying for arrest warrants in this instance runs contrary to the promotion of rule of law globally; Israel has a long history as a functioning democracy, with an independent judiciary and military justice system. We have great confidence in the Israeli judicial system’s ability to administer justice,” the Senators stated. They emphasized the importance of engaging the Israeli government before taking such significant steps, suggesting that bypassing this engagement questions the impartiality of the ICC’s investigation.
The Senators concluded by reaffirming their bipartisan commitment to opposing the ICC’s actions against Israel and ensuring the protection of American personnel from similar future actions by the ICC. “We will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to strenuously object to the ICC’s actions against our ally, Israel, and take appropriate steps to help Israel and protect American personnel from future ICC action.”
This joint statement reflects the bipartisan concern in the U.S. Senate regarding the ICC’s recent actions and underscores the Senators’ support for Israel’s sovereignty and judicial processes.
