Rep. senators to ICC chief over Israeli arrests: 'You've been warned'
5 Min Read
Khan was warned that any attempt by the ICC to hold Netanyahu and his colleagues accountable for their war crimes in Gaza would be interpreted "as a threat ... to the sovereignty of the United States" as well.
-
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan poses during an interview for AFP at the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais Royal in Paris on February 7, 2024. (AFP)
Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has received a stern warning from US senators threatening him with "severe sanctions" if he issues international arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
In a terse, one-page letter obtained by Zeteo and signed by 12 Republican senators, including Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Ted Cruz of Texas, Khan was warned that any attempt by the ICC to hold Benjamin Netanyahu and his colleagues accountable for their war crimes in Gaza will be interpreted "not only as a threat to Israel's sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States."
“Target Israel and we will target you,” the senators threatened, citing sanctions on Khan's employees and his associates, adding that they and their families would be "barred from the United States."
"You have been warned," the letter brazenly stated.
In a statement to Zeteo, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland stated that it was "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.”
Read more: 'Israel' warns US it will punish PA if ICC issues arrest warrants
The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a statement today on X warning about any threats of retaliation against the Office, stressing that the latter may constitute an offense against the administration of justice.
In recent weeks, Israeli authorities have become more anxious since reportedly the names of Netanyahu, Security Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israeli occupation forces (IOF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi have been circled as suspects of war crimes that the ICC will look to prosecute and issue arrest warrants against.
The ICC has been looking into war crimes committed back in 2014 in the Gaza Strip, however, it has produced no punitive decisions against individuals. The inquiry has been expanded to include the events of October 7, as well as the current war on Gaza.
Statement of the #ICC Office of the Prosecutor pic.twitter.com/Cw331pMcDm
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) May 3, 2024
The letter was sent to Khan on April 24, and, in it, they reminded him that the US “demonstrated in the American Service-Members’ Protection Act the lengths to which we will go to protect [its] sovereignty.”
The senators call the potential arrests “illegitimate and lacking legal basis” and claim that they “expose” the court’s “hypocrisy and double standards."
Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, one of the letter’s Republican signatories, confirmed to Zeteo it was “not a threat – a promise.”
Previously on... Israeli and American threats against the ICC
On May 1, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on X addressing the potential ICC arrest warrants labeling them as an "outrage of historic proportions" and then called on "the free leaders of the world to stand firmly against the ICC outrageous assault" on what he claimed is "Israel's inherent right of self-defense."
Netanyahu did not stop there, as he explicitly stressed that he expected those leaders to "use all the means at their disposal" to stop this "dangerous move."
In addition, members of Congress warned the International Criminal Court that arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials will result in US retaliation, and legislation for it is already in the making, according to Axios on April 29.
It cited two Israeli officials as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked US President Joe Biden to prevent the ICC from issuing arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials responsible for war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council declined to comment on the contents of Netanyahu's call with Biden but told Axios, "As we have publicly said many times, the ICC has no jurisdiction in this situation and we do not support its investigation."
The Israeli government also told the Biden administration that if the ICC issues arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, it would retaliate against the Palestinian Authority, perhaps leading to its collapse, according to two Israeli and US sources.
Over the last several weeks, "Israel" has informed the US that it has intelligence indicating that Palestinian Authority officials are pressuring the ICC prosecutor to obtain arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, according to two Israeli officials.
One possible "punishment" being mulled by the occupation is the halting of tax funds collected by "Israel" for the PA, pushing it to bankruptcy.
