Defending Netanyahu: American Sanctions on Judges and Prosecutors of the International Criminal Court

“Israel Today” newspaper, citing informed sources, reported that “it is expected that the sanctions will be announced on the second day of Trump’s term, on the 21st of this month, and will be personal sanctions against court staff, including judges and prosecutors, as well as the institution itself.”

The newspaper stated, “The goal is to classify the International Criminal Court as an organization that threatens American national security, just as the U.S. State Department classifies terrorist organizations around the world. After this classification, known professionally as a Designation, severe restrictions will be imposed on everyone involved in the court’s operations.”

The sources said, “The sanctions will require financial institutions around the world to stop dealing with court staff, or they will face similar American sanctions like those previously imposed by the U.S. administration on many Israeli citizens.”

In addition, according to the sources, employees of the International Criminal Court will be prevented from performing basic operations in their bank accounts and credit cards, except for vital transactions such as buying food. Their economic lives will be frozen, along with the freezing of personal assets of the court’s employees and the institution itself in the United States.

The upcoming administration will seek to avoid U.S. sanctions until U.S. allies clarify that they do not intend to cooperate with arrest warrants against Israeli officials.

This comes in response to the call by the court’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, “for all member states of the Rome Statute to comply with the arrest warrants.”

While the U.S. administration is moving in the opposite direction, trying to rally America’s allies to confirm that they will not cooperate with the orders, with the aim of allowing the court to withdraw from the decision within the framework of the appeals process, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper noted, “The goal of these American steps is to allow the court to withdraw from the arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Galant, as they hope that in one of the appeals processes, Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan or the judges will find legal interpretations to cancel the orders.”

The newspaper clarified that the new U.S. administration views the arrest warrants issued by The Hague against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Galant as a threat to American national security.

The purpose of these orders is to undermine the ability of the United States and its allies to defend themselves using military means against threats worldwide. Many members of Trump’s team, as well as some Republican senators, have said that they see the United States as next after Israel in facing such orders, and thus they treat these orders as if they were issued against American leaders and officers.

Senator Tom Cotton, who will chair the Senate Intelligence Committee starting next week, stated that he considers “The Hague Court a battlefield (field court), and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic, woe to him and everyone who tries to enforce these illegal orders.”

He added, “Let me remind you all: the American law against The Hague Court is known as the Hague Invasion Act, and there’s a reason for that. Think about it.”