The White House was not only the sole opposition in the 14-1 veto vote this week for the UN Security Council ceasefire resolution for peace in Gaza and a return of the hostages, but it also led the way in a flat rejection of enforcing the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity, against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. A National Security Council spokesperson stated: “The U.S. fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials. We remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision.” Further, the NSC claimed that the ICC “does not have jurisdiction over this matter.” President Biden issued a statement that “The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. … We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
While it is true that Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, the ICC has jurisdiction over the West Bank and Gaza and whether genocide is being carried out there.
In contrast, EU diplomacy leader Josep Borrell called the ICC warrants non-political and said the member states should respect and implement them. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told parliament: “The Netherlands implements the Rome Statute 100%.” They “will act on the arrest warrants” and “fully comply” with the ICC. For these comments, his planned trip to Israel next week was axed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
