Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has condemned the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to investigate war crimes committed by Israelis and Palestinians. In a statement, Blinken said that the US “firmly opposes and is deeply disappointed” the investigation, adding that ‘The ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter’.
Blinken said:
“The United States firmly opposes and is deeply disappointed by this decision. The ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter. Israel is not a party to the ICC and has not consented to the Court’s jurisdiction, and we have serious concerns about the ICC’s attempts to exercise its jurisdiction over Israeli personnel.”
“Moreover, the United States believes a peaceful, secure and more prosperous future for the people of the Middle East depends on building bridges and creating new avenues for dialogue and exchange, not unilateral judicial actions that exacerbate tensions and undercut efforts to advance a negotiated two-state solution. We will continue to uphold our strong commitment to Israel and its security, including by opposing actions that seek to target Israel unfairly,” he added.
His condemnation of the investigation has angered many progressives, most of whom sympathise with the Palestinian cause, and wish to see Israel investigated for war crimes it is alleged to have committed whilst fighting insurgents. One thing which upset many leftists, and even the Wisconsin Green Party, was Blinken’s use of the phrase ‘The Palestinian Situation’ in a tweet.
In a tweet, the Wisconsin Green Party called the phrase:
“Biden Administration speak for apartheid, illegal military occupation and brutal war crimes funded by billions of US taxpayer dollars sent to Israel by Democrats and Republicans while millions of American children don’t have enough food to eat.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will have undoubtedly been questioning the US’ loyalty thanks to Biden’s attempts to distance himself from Israel, will welcome the decision. Netanyahu had already called the investigation ‘undiluted antisemitism and the height of hypocrisy”.
Conservatives will also be happy with Blinken’s statement, as many were concerned about the Biden administration’s position towards Israel, which is markedly different to that of Former President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump forged excellent ties with Israel, even going as far as to foster peace deals between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan. Trump was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in these historic agreements.
In the ICC’s preliminary findings alleged that Israel may have committed war crimes due to “disproportionate attacks in relation to at least three incidents” and the alleged “transfer of Israeli civilians into the West Bank.” The report also mentions alleged crimes committed by Israel when clashing with protesters on the Israel-Gaza border. The report also points to alleged war crimes committed by Hamas and ‘Palestinian armed groups’. The allegations about these groups range from torture to ‘using protected persons as shields’.
The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, which is the foundational and governing treaty of the ICC, and has had a somewhat rocky relationship with the court over the years. Former President Obama chose to support the court on an ad-hoc basis through a policy called ‘positive engagement’, though Former President Trump levied sanctions on key figures within the ICC because of its investigation into US abuses in Afghanistan.
Biden was expected to take a similar approach to Obama regarding the ICC, though his delay in lifting Trump’s sanctions (which he still has not done) and the tension caused by its investigation into Israel, has left people wondering whether he will take a tougher approach than his former boss.
Sources:
Progressives furious at Secretary of State Blinken for ‘Palestinian situation’ tweet | Fox News
US opposes ICC war crimes probe, citing support for Israel | Human Rights News | Al Jazeera
