The action of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is not at all on Washington’s side. Joe Biden on Monday defended Israel in the face of international justice, deeming the request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders “scandalous”.
“What is happening is not a genocide, we reject” this term, also swept away the American president, referring to a case brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court of the UN, before in which Israel is accused of “genocide”.
The United States “alongside Israel to eliminate” the leader of Hamas
During a reception for the Jewish community at the White House, the 81-year-old Democrat also repeated that the United States opposed the approach of the prosecutor of another jurisdiction, the ICC. This magistrate on Monday requested arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister, but also against three Hamas leaders, all for alleged crimes against humanity.
“We reject” this request, insisted Joe Biden, repeating that his support for Israel was “unshakeable”. “We are alongside Israel to eliminate (Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya) Sinouar and the rest of the butchers of the Palestinian movement,” he declared, promising to act “against all odds” to free the hostages kidnapped during the October 7 attack.
Neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC
Previously, the American president had already published a terse press release describing the ICC prosecutor’s request as “scandalous”, while the head of diplomacy Antony Blinken declared that the magistrate’s approach was “a shame”.
“I will be clear: whatever the prosecutor insinuates, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas, there is none,” asserted Joe Biden in his press release. Antony Blinken also estimated that the prosecutor’s request “could compromise” talks on a ceasefire in Gaza. Furthermore, the ICC has “no jurisdiction” over Israel, he recalled. Neither Israel nor the United States are in fact members of this Court.