JERUSALEM – President Donald Trump‘s govt order sanctioning the Hague-based Worldwide Legal Court docket (ICC) will stop a slippery slope of U.S. army and authorities officers dealing with prosecution from a nebulous judicial forms within the Netherlands, argue critics of the worldwide felony physique.
Richard Goldberg, a former Trump official who served on his first Nationwide Safety Council, advised Fox Information Digital, “This can be a crucial first step in defending American troopers and officers from additional lawfare illegitimately waged by radical anti-People at what’s grow to be a global kangaroo court docket. Israel could also be within the information right this moment, however tomorrow will probably be the People who’re nonetheless being wrongfully investigated by the court docket for supposed struggle crimes in Afghanistan.”
Goldberg, a senior adviser on the Basis for Protection of Democracies, added, “These ICC officers have crossed a line, they’ve entered the battlefield towards america and Israel by perverting worldwide regulation and utilizing it as a software of warfare. The president has preserved an escalation ladder right here, too. These sanctions solely apply to officers and repair suppliers, to not the court docket itself. We may completely go the following step and shut down the court docket if this lawfare isn’t terminated.”
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A common view of the Worldwide Legal Court docket constructing in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 30, 2024. (Selman Aksunger/Anadolu through Getty Photographs)
The ICC fired again in a press release and stated it “condemns the issuance by the U.S. of an Government Order looking for to impose sanctions on its officers and hurt its impartial and neutral judicial work. The Court docket stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to proceed offering justice and hope to hundreds of thousands of harmless victims of atrocities the world over, in all Conditions earlier than it. We name on our 125 States Events, civil society and all nations of the world to face united for justice and basic human rights.”
Trump signed the govt order punishing the ICC on Thursday in response to its Might 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s former Protection Minister Yoav Gallant.
Netanyahu praised the order in a press release. “Thanks, President Trump in your daring ICC Government Order. It is going to defend America and Israel from the anti-American and antisemetic corrupt court docket that has no jurisdiction or foundation to have interaction in lawfare towards us. The ICC waged a ruthless marketing campaign towards Israel as a trial run for motion towards America. President Trump’s Government Order protects the sovereignty of each international locations and its courageous troopers.”
The ICC is reportedly nonetheless investigating U.S. residents for struggle crimes dedicated in Afghanistan. (AP)
Hungarian Overseas Minister Peter Szijjarto stated on Friday that Trump’s sanctions on the ICC are “completely comprehensible.” He added the ICC has grow to be “a biased political software” and that the central European nation was evaluating its cooperation with the ICC.
Goldberg stated, “The president wasn’t going to attend round on Schumer’s video games to behave. The minute Senate Democrats blocked the invoice it was a assure you’ll see an govt order observe. But when Schumer now says he helps the order, Senate Republicans ought to transfer rapidly to codify it and pressure Schumer again to a vote.”
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President Donald Trump, proper, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reply questions throughout a joint press convention within the East Room on the White Home in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4, 2025. ( REUTERS/Leah Millis)
Dozens of nations expressed their “unwavering help” for the ICC on Friday, a day after Trump licensed doubtlessly far-reaching financial and journey sanctions towards the court docket’s workers.
“We reaffirm our continued and unwavering help for the independence, impartiality and integrity of the ICC,” a gaggle of just about 80 international locations stated in a joint assertion. “The court docket serves as a significant pillar of the worldwide justice system by guaranteeing accountability for probably the most critical worldwide crimes, and justice for victims.”
The signatories got here from all components of the world however make up solely about two-thirds of the 125 member states of the everlasting court docket for the prosecution of struggle crimes, crimes towards humanity, genocide and crimes of aggression.
Among the many international locations who agreed to the assertion had been France, Germany and Britain. Amongst these absent had been Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Italy.
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Goldberg stated that “The president wasn’t going to attend round on Schumer’s video games to behave. The minute Senate Democrats blocked the invoice it was a assure you’ll see an govt order observe. But when Schumer now says he helps the order, Senate Republicans ought to transfer rapidly to codify it and pressure Schumer again to a vote.”
Senate Minority Chief Sen. Chuck Schumer,D-NY., torpedoed a GOP-led invoice to sanction the ICC in January.
Reuters and Fox Information’ Diana Stancy contributed to this text