On Monday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a forceful statement regarding the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asserting that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over the parties involved in this dispute.
President Joe Biden came to Netanyahu’s defense on the issue of the possible ICC warrants. “The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” Biden said in a statement. “And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
Khan was expected in Israel on Monday to discuss potential ICC charges with American and Israeli investigators. His televised declaration requesting arrest warrants took both the Israelis and the State Department completely by surprise.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that although Israel is not a member of the ICC, it was ready to cooperate with the prosecutor’s investigation for the first time. He mentioned that Khan’s staff was scheduled to arrive in Israel today to arrange a visit. However, coinciding with the prosecutor’s TV announcement of charges against Netanyahu and Gallant, Khan’s team informed the Israelis that they had not boarded their flight, according to Blinken.
“These and other circumstances cast doubt on the legitimacy and credibility of this investigation,” stated Blinken. Below is the full transcript of Blinken’s comments, accompanied by videos that contribute to the unfolding narrative of this story.
The United States fundamentally rejects the announcement today from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that he is applying for arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, together with warrants for Hamas terrorists.
We reject the Prosecutor’s equivalence of Israel with Hamas. It is shameful. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage, including Americans.
Moreover, the United States has been clear since well before the current conflict that that ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter. The ICC was established by its state parties as a court of limited jurisdiction. Those limits are rooted in principles of complementarity, which do not appear to have been applied here amid the Prosecutor’s rush to seek these arrest warrants rather than allowing the Israeli legal system a full and timely opportunity to proceed. In other situations, the Prosecutor deferred to national investigations and worked with states to allow them time to investigate. The Prosecutor did not afford the same opportunity to Israel, which has ongoing investigations into allegations against its personnel.
There are also deeply troubling process questions. Despite not being a member of the court, Israel was prepared to cooperate with the Prosecutor. In fact, the Prosecutor himself was scheduled to visit Israel as early as next week to discuss the investigation and hear from the Israeli Government. The Prosecutor’s staff was supposed to land in Israel today to coordinate the visit. Israel was informed that they did not board their flight around the same time that the Prosecutor went on cable television to announce the charges. These and other circumstances call into question the legitimacy and credibility of this investigation.
Fundamentally, this decision does nothing to help, and could jeopardize, ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement that would get hostages out and surge humanitarian assistance in, which are the goals the United States continues to pursue relentlessly.
That concludes the remarks from Sec. Blinken.
Jim Williams covers the conflict between Israel and Hamas, offering comprehensive written articles and video coverage on various Middle Eastern issues.
Washington based CEO & Founder of LJC. Media covering politics, sports, & entertainment A seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director, and podcast host. Digital Director and Washington Bureau Chief at News Talk Florida & The Daily Cable
