A group of House Democrats led by Eugene Vindman, D-Va., is urging the International Criminal Court to rescind its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“We are deeply concerned about the ICC’s recent decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. This action severely undermines the principles of justice and threatens to politicize the Court’s critical mission to prosecute the world’s most egregious crimes,” the members wrote in a letter that was addressed to ICC President Päivi Kaukoranta.
“The ICC should act only when national jurisdictions are unwilling or unable to prosecute. Israel is a democracy governed by the rule of law, with an independent judiciary capable of addressing allegations of misconduct,” the letter went on. “Issuing arrest warrants against leaders of a democratic nation defending itself against Hamas—a terrorist organization responsible for heinous war crimes—sets a dangerous precedent that emboldens bad actors and delegitimizes the Court.”
Vindman, elected to the Seventh District seat in November, cited his experience as a prosecutor investigating war crimes in Ukraine for informing his views.
“I know how critical the ICC is for maintaining the rules-based international order. And yet, the ICC’s recent decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s leadership severely undermines the principles of justice and threatens to politicize the Court’s critical mission to prosecute the world’s most egregious crimes,” Vindman said.
“I strongly urge the ICC to reconsider these arrest warrants, refocus its efforts on clear cases of atrocity crimes, and uphold the integrity of its mandate. Make no mistake, weakening the ICC is precisely what malign actors want,” Vindman said.
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Chris Graham
