‘Fueled by political bias’: Jewish organizations, figures condemn ICC’s arrest warrants

The International Criminal Court holds Jews and the Jewish state to a different standard than the rest of the world, Jewish Federations of North America said Thursday morning in response to the court’s announcement that it issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. 

JFNA said the ICC made a “historically unjust decision” in issuing its arrest warrants for Israel’s “democratically elected leaders and defense officials, who for 14 months have been fighting a war they did not start or want in response to a genocidal terrorist organization’s unprovoked attack.”

This decision is a win for terrorists everywhere, according to JFNA, who now see that the ICC has “no compunction equating terrorists who target civilians with democratic states that employ legal frameworks and infrastructure to save as many civilians as possible.”

JFNA wrote that Israel goes “above and beyond the requirements of international law.”

“In targeting Israel as it turns a blind eye to the world’s real human rights violators, the ICC—to which the US and Israel are not signatories—has shown that Jews and the Jewish state are held to a different standard than the rest of the world,” JFNA said. “That is antisemitism, pure and simple, and the court should work to immediately rescind these warrants.”

AIPAC said Congress “must act now” to sanction ICC officials. 

“America’s leaders must condemn this action and push back against the ICC’s dangerous politically motivated agenda,” AIPAC said in a statement. “In the past, the ICC has also targeted the U.S., and today’s decision could set a precedent to be employed against America and other democratic countries.”

The Senate must quickly pass the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, which the House passed with bipartisan support in June, to sanction those aiding the Court to prosecute Americans or Israelis, AIPAC wrote. 

Appalled by the ICC

In a statement, the World Jewish Congress said it believes the ICC’s actions are fueled by political bias brought about by the influence of terrorist regimes, including Iran. 

“The ICC’s decision not only undermines the pursuit of peace but also disregards the recognized right of a nation to act in self-defense when facing the threat of Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization responsible for the attempted annihilation of Israel’s civilians,” WJC wrote. 

“We call upon the international community to reject this unjust move by the ICC and not to comply with these arrest warrants. It is imperative that efforts toward achieving lasting peace are not derailed by politically motivated actions,” the statement said. “The WJC remains committed to supporting Israel’s right to protect its citizens and to advocating for a fair and unbiased approach to international justice.”