After the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, warned allies of the United States on Friday that if they attempt to enforce it, the U.S. will “crush your economy.”
The ICC, which is seated in The Hague, Netherlands, issued multiple warrants on Thursday for those involved in the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. This included warrants for the arrest of Netanyahu, his former defense minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas military leader, Mohammed Deif.
The court has accused them of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza, which followed Hamas’ October 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw the abduction of 250 others. Since then, Israel’s military ground and air campaigns in Gaza have killed over 44,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The ICC has found that Netanyahu and his former defense minister “each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts,” as well as bearing criminal responsibility as “civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.”
Netanyahu has called the ICC’s arrest warrant an “antisemitic decision” and said, “Israel utterly rejects the false and absurd charges of the ICC, a biased and discriminatory political body.”
Several countries including U.S allies such as Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Lithuania, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Turkey, Jordan, Norway and Sweden, have said they will comply with the ICC’s arrest warrant or are open to it.
During an interview appearance on Fox News with host Sean Hannity on Friday, Graham, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, condemned the warrants.
“If you are going to help the ICC as a nation and force the arrest warrant against Bibi and Gallant, the former defense minister, I will put sanctions on you as a nation. You’re going to have to pick the rogue ICC versus America. I’m working with [Senator] Tom Cotton to have legislation passed as soon as we can to sanction any country that aids and abets the arrest of any politician in Israel. So, to any ally, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, if you try to help the ICC, we’re going to sanction you,” Graham said.
Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, suggested in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday that the U.S. could invade the Netherlands, one of the countries that said they would comply with the ICC, if Netanyahu is arrested and brought there to face trial.
“The ICC is a kangaroo court and [chief prosecutor] Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it,” he wrote, referring to the American Service-Members’ Protection Act, which gives the president the legal authority to use “all means necessary and appropriate to bring about the release of any U.S. or allied personnel being detained or imprisoned by, on behalf of, or at the request of the International Criminal Court.”
Hannity then interjected to say that he wants “every ally” on notice, adding, “And you saw little Justin in Canada and his position. What should the penalty be?”
Graham responded: “If you help the ICC, we’re going to crush your economy.”
Hannity concluded: “Friends and allies, you better beware because this has to happen.”
Newsweek has reached out to Graham’s office, the White House and Trump’s campaign via email for comment.
On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will abide by the rules and regulations of the ICC.
“It’s really important that everyone abide by international law; this is something we have been calling on since the beginning of the conflict,” he told a reporter.
The ICC is recognized by 124 member nations, all of which in theory would arrest Netanyahu if he were to visit those countries. However, the ICC lacks its own enforcement mechanisms and the court depends on member nations to cooperate in executing arrest warrants, which they are obligated to enforce.
Responding to the ICC, President Joe Biden called the warrants “disgraceful.” The U.S. is a strong ally of Israel and neither country is a member of the ICC.
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