Washington:
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order on Thursday that slapping the International Criminal Court for investigations “without foundation” addressed to the United States and its nearby ally Israel, said the White House.
Trump’s order said the Court in Hague had “abused his power” by issuing an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had conversations with the president of the United States on Tuesday.
The Order also said that the Court had been involved in “illegitimate and without foundation actions that lead to the United States and our close ally Israel”, referring to the CPI probes over alleged war crimes by US service members in Afghanistan and Israeli troops in Gaza.
The president of the United States ordered asset freezing and travel prohibitions against CPI officials, employees and their relatives, together with anyone who considers having helped court investigations.
The sanctions are a sample of support after Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, during which Trump announced a plan for the United States to take charge “of Gaza and move the Palestinians to other countries of the Middle East.
Neither the United States nor Israel are members of the Court.
There was no immediate CPI reaction.
The ICC issued arrest orders on November 21 for Netanyahu, its former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Military Chief of Hamas, Mohammed Deif, whom Israel says he is dead.
The arrest orders, approved after a request from the CPI prosecutor, Karim Khan, in May, are for “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 8, 2023 until at least 20 of May 2024 “.
During his first term, Trump imposed financial sanctions and a prohibition of visa of the then prosecutor of the CPI, Fatou Bensouda and other senior officials and personnel in 2020.
When describing it as a “kangaroo court,” his then administration moved after Bensouda, born in Gambia, initiated an investigation into accusations of war crimes against US soldiers in Afghanistan.
Although his order at that time did not appoint Israel, Trump administration officials said they were also angry about Bensouda’s opening of an investigation into the situation in the Palestinian territories in 2019.
President Joe Biden lifted the sanctions shortly after assuming the position in 2021.
Prosecutor Khan then effectively eliminated the United States from Afghan investigation and focused on the Taliban.
Biden strongly condemned the “scandalous” order against Netanyahu in November.
The United States Chamber approved a bill last month to sanction the ICC, but Senate Democrats blocked it last week, saying that the bill could be counterproductive for US allies and companies.
But Democrats have also expressed angry at Netanyahu sanctions.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a union feed).
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