The International Criminal Court on Friday condemned President Trump’s executive order imposing sanctions on it, saying that the action sought to harm the court’s “independent and impartial judicial work.” Key European allies of the United States also distanced themselves from his decision.
Mr. Trump’s order on Thursday said that his administration would “impose tangible and significant consequences” on people who work on investigations that threaten the national security of the United States and its allies, including Israel.
Last November, the court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and the country’s former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. The I.C.C. faced backlash from the U.S. and Israel as a result. The court also issued a warrant for a Hamas leader, Muhammad Deif.
In its statement on Friday, the court said that it stood by its personnel and pledged “to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world.” The court was set up under a 1998 treaty and has jurisdiction to prosecute people for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
Some in Israel and elsewhere expressed support for Mr. Trump’s order. Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, said that the court did not have jurisdiction over the United States or Israel because neither country was a member. “The I.C.C. aggressively pursues the elected leaders of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East,” he wrote on social media.
The court’s jurisdiction can extend beyond member states. Although the United States and Israel are not members of the court, the court has ruled that it has the authority to investigate crimes committed in the Palestinian territories of Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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