International-News

Trump sanctions ICC, Israel applauds

Executive order bans ICC officials from entering the US and freezes their assets. Israel welcomes the measure, while the Court denounces an attack on international justice

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its staff, accusing it of ‘illegal actions’ against Washington and its allies. The measure bans ICC executives and agents, as well as their immediate family members and anyone who has cooperated with its investigations, from entering the United States. It also provides for the freezing of assets held by these individuals in the United States.

The decision comes in response to investigations launched by the ICC into alleged war crimes committed by US soldiers in Afghanistan and by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip. Back in 2020, the Trump administration had imposed sanctions on the Court’s then prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda. Now, with the new decree, the US government reiterates its opposition to any ICC action against its citizens or allies.

Israel enthusiastically welcomed Trump’s decision. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X (formerly Twitter): ‘Thank you, President Trump, for your courageous executive order. You will defend America and Israel from a corrupt, anti-American, anti-Semitic court that has no jurisdiction or basis to engage in legal action against us.’

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also praised the measure, calling the ICC an organisation that ‘aggressively pursues the elected leaders of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East’. Sa’ar accused the Court of ‘disregarding international law’ and ‘undermining the legitimacy’ of the US and Israel.

The reaction of the International Criminal Court, which condemned the US initiative in an official statement, was harsh: ‘The ICC strongly rejects the US executive order, which aims to undermine our independent and impartial work’. The Court reiterated its commitment to promoting war crimes and human rights violations worldwide, regardless of political pressure.

Trump’s move could aggravate tensions between Washington and international institutions, fuelling debate over the legitimacy of sanctions against the ICC and the consequences for international justice.

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