{"id":65795,"date":"2024-06-04T21:35:05","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T21:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/04\/house-votes-to-impose-sanctions-on-i-c-c-officials-over-israel-prosecution\/"},"modified":"2024-06-04T21:35:05","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T21:35:05","slug":"house-votes-to-impose-sanctions-on-i-c-c-officials-over-israel-prosecution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/04\/house-votes-to-impose-sanctions-on-i-c-c-officials-over-israel-prosecution\/","title":{"rendered":"House Votes to Impose Sanctions on I.C.C. Officials Over Israel Prosecution"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/06\/04\/multimedia\/04dc-cong-icc-ctgf\/04dc-cong-icc-ctgf-facebookJumbo.jpg?resize=1050,549&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"House Votes to Impose Sanctions on I.C.C. Officials Over Israel Prosecution\" title=\"House Votes to Impose Sanctions on I.C.C. Officials Over Israel Prosecution\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The House voted mostly along party lines on Tuesday to impose sweeping sanctions on officials at the International Criminal Court in a rebuke of efforts by the court\u2019s top prosecutor to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/20\/world\/middleeast\/icc-hamas-netanyahu.html\" title=\"\">charge top Israeli leaders<\/a> with war crimes in connection with the offensive against Hamas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The bill would compel President Biden to restrict entry into the United States, revoke visas and impose financial restrictions on anyone at the court involved in trying to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute \u201cprotected persons,\u201d or allies of the United States. It would also target anyone who provides \u201cfinancial, material or technological support\u201d to those efforts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Biden\u2019s advisers said he was \u201cstrongly opposed\u201d to the measure because it would impose sanctions on such a broad swath of officials, including court staff members and any witnesses involved in a potential case. But it reflected broad bipartisan anger in Washington after the court\u2019s top prosecutor announced late last month that he would <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/20\/world\/middleeast\/icc-arrest-warrants-israel-hamas.html\" title=\"\">seek charges against both Israeli and Hamas leaders<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The G.O.P.-written bill passed by a vote of 247 to 155, with two Republicans voting present and 42 Democrats crossing party lines in support.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Representative Chip Roy, Republican of Texas and the author of the bill, said it was a necessary step to stop the international court from acting beyond its jurisdiction and to address fears that actions taken against Israeli officials could be a prelude to actions against American officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWhat happens here is going to be coming at us and our country,\u201d Mr. Roy said on Tuesday. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s important to speak with one voice, with authority, with force.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Since Karim Khan, the I.C.C.\u2019s top prosecutor, went public with his request to the court\u2019s judges to seek the charges, the move has met broad condemnation in Washington. Members of both parties have argued that it overstepped the court\u2019s jurisdiction and inappropriately likened the actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, a close U.S. ally, with those of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terror group, accusing both of crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThe I.C.C. prosecutor has attempted to equate the self-defense decisions made by Israel\u2019s democratically elected leaders to those of Hamas terrorist leaders,\u201d said Representative Gregory W. Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. \u201cThere is no \u2014 and I repeat \u2014 there is no moral or legal equivalence here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But despite the bipartisan displeasure with the court\u2019s prosecutor, Mr. Meeks opposed the bill, along with most other Democrats, who had pressed for a bipartisan measure that would reflect the broad repudiation of the court\u2019s move but not resort to sanctions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIf our goal is to change the I.C.C.\u2019s actions, sanctions is the wrong tool,\u201d Mr. Meeks said. \u201cThey\u2019re simply not going to work here. They\u2019re not going to convince the I.C.C. to back down and could, in fact, push the I.C.C. to pursue this case even with greater vigor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the weeks since Mr. Khan broadcast his decision to apply for arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leaders, Republicans and Democrats have worked to create a unified response. But the White House rejected a proposed compromise blessed by Speaker Mike Johnson and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, because the administration did not want to impose sanctions on the I.C.C.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe did work very hard to get to a bipartisan agreement, a bipartisan bill that the speaker approved and Mr. Jeffries approved,\u201d Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas and the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who led the talks, said on Tuesday. \u201cBut when it went to the White House, it was rejected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Republicans, who have been quick to try to divide Democrats on the war in Gaza and capitalize on divisions on the left over Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s tactics, decided to move ahead with their preferred measure anyway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe need to act quickly because this case is already advancing much faster than expected,\u201d Mr. McCaul said ahead of the vote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">John F. Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, told reporters last week that the White House did not believe that imposing sanctions on the court and those who support it was the right approach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe obviously don\u2019t believe the I.C.C. has jurisdiction,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we certainly don\u2019t support these arrest warrants, and we have said that before. We don\u2019t believe, though, that sanctioning the I.C.C. is the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Ahead of the bill\u2019s passage, White House officials issued a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SAP-HR8282.pdf\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">statement saying the administration \u201cstrongly opposes\u201d the measure<\/a> but stopped short of threatening to veto it. The statement said officials were \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d about the arrest warrants but that \u201cthere are more effective ways to defend Israel, preserve U.S. positions on the I.C.C. and promote international justice and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Roy, aware that his legislation is unlikely to become law in its current form, said he hoped a bipartisan proposal could still emerge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIf the Senate wants to modify it, send it back to the House and try to address any of the concerns that have been raised by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, or on this side of the aisle \u2014 great,\u201d Mr. Roy said on Tuesday, adding, \u201cThey can send it back to us, and we can send a product to the president.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">House Democrats chafed at Mr. Roy\u2019s insistence on rushing through a measure he knew they would not support on an issue on which there is consensus to be found.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cOnce again, we have a poorly drafted, poorly thought-out messaging bill that hasn\u2019t gone through the committee process, that hasn\u2019t gone through regular order, that hasn\u2019t been thought through,\u201d Representative Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, said. \u201cWe cannot vote yes on a bill today that is this infirm and count on the Senate to clean it up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/06\/04\/us\/politics\/house-vote-icc-israel.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The House voted mostly along party lines on Tuesday to impose sweeping sanctions on officials at the International Criminal Court in a rebuke of efforts by the court\u2019s top prosecutor to charge top Israeli leaders with war crimes in connection with the offensive against Hamas. The bill would compel President Biden to restrict entry into [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":65796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/06\/04\/multimedia\/04dc-cong-icc-ctgf\/04dc-cong-icc-ctgf-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[79,40427,12584,38,120,5185,13674,3649],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65795"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65795"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65797,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65795\/revisions\/65797"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}