On Monday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor announced he would file arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, tying the victim and the perpetrator together when it comes to the October 7 attack that Hamas launched against our ally in the Middle East. Since then, a bill known as the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, which was introduced by Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Brian Mast (R-FL) earlier this month, has grown in the number of sponsors.
62 total co-sponsors on this bill now, I’m told — about a quarter of the House GOP conference https://t.co/YZTLPARZIj
— Liz Elkind (@liz_elkind) May 23, 2024
Roy, whose press account has been posting and reposting updates about the bill's sponsors, took to the House floor on Thursday morning for nearly half an hour to call out the ICC. In speaking about "our dear friends Israel" being under attack, Roy reminded that "they're not just under attack by Hamas, they are in fact under attack by the anti-western civilization radical progressives across the globe and in particular at the International Criminal Court."
"If organizations like the ICC...like the United Nations...like the World Health Organization and the rest of them actually cared about human rights, they'd be going after the real war criminals! They don't care about Hamas' crimes," Roy insisted. "Yeah, they say, the ICC, they're issuing warrants for Hamas. But they're trying to constrain Israel from going out and attacking and destroying Hamas!"
"What they care about is attacking and tearing down everything that is great and good with western civilization, that has done more for more people around this world than any other civilization in history. And whether the president knows it's going on or not, that's what the Biden administration's actions have all been driving towards these past three years," Roy also pointed out, raising concerns about larger implications for the United States as well. "They're destroying our sovereignty and weakening us on the outside, while pushing chaos, economic ruin, and moral disintegration domestically," he added.
Watch Rep. Roy's full speech on YouTube👇https://t.co/fYQ6xN9EXG
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) May 23, 2024
Presently, the bill has only Republican cosponsors. Democrats appear to be in disarray on the subject of the ICC's arrest warrants. As we covered on Monday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) had quite the notable reactions to the arrest warrants, with Sanders even openly saying in a statement that the "ICC prosecutor is right to take these actions."
Another one of Omar's Squad members, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), has since not only said "I support the court’s independence in making their decision," but also claimed "I think that we have seen the input from the overwhelming amount of our allies in the developed world and across the world in general, really respecting the independence of the ICC."
Asked AOC if she agrees with ICC prosecutor’s plan to move ahead with arrest warrant for Netanyahu. “I think that we have seen the input from the overwhelming amount of our allies in the developed world and across the world in general, really respecting the independence of the…
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 22, 2024
Despite such praise for the ICC, there are serious concerns with jurisdiction, as Spencer highlighted when covering President Joe Biden's statement. Although he called the move "outrageous," it was also too little too late, especially as the statement was only three sentences long and concerns with arrest warrants were raised weeks prior from both sides of the aisle.
During his remarks, Roy pointed out how "America should have Israel's back," noting "the abuse of an international organization with no real legitimacy."
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), a fellow Squad member and one who is facing a particularly tough primary battle next month and is down in the polls against pro-Israel Democrat George Latimer, appears to not be willing to speak on the matter.
Jamaal Bowman, who is usually very talkative but is now facing a difficult primary, won’t comment when I asked him twice about the ICC prosecutor’s push for Netanyahu arrest warrants. Said he’s “not talking.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 22, 2024
Bowman is viewed as the most vulnerable of the squad. Backstory:…
Chatter on Capitol Hill further shows Democrats in disarray when it comes to supporting Israel and placating the far-left base of the Democratic Party, including and especially during a tough election year for Biden. The unpopular incumbent president is behind in the polls against former and potentially future President Donald Trump, and that includes in the key swing state of Michigan, where chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" are openly declared.
Per Fox News' Chad Pergram, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called sanctions "a bit awkward and bizarre" and then stood behind Biden's paltry statement. It's more so "awkward and bizarre" that an international body without authority is looking to arrest warrants.
Despite Biden denouncing ICC over prosecutor’s plan to seek Netanyahu arrest warrant, a number of Senate Ds wouldn’t go that far or declined to take a position when I asked them tonight — another indication of the party divide over the war.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 21, 2024
“We need to have a ceasefire, release…
Durbin on House GOPers wanting to sanction ICC: That seems a little bit awkward and bizarre. I think we've stayed at a position on this the President's Correct. There's no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) May 21, 2024
The United Nations, which Roy referenced in his speech, has similarly acted in a deplorable manner. In addition to U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood standing for a moment in silence at the UN for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, known as the "butcher of Tehran," Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield ignored questions from Fox News about the ICC.
US Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield ignores question from Fox about if they US should listen to the ICC about Netanyahu warrant as she arrives at the Capitol
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) May 23, 2024
Join the conversation as a VIP Member