In a press release, Rep. Rashida Tlaib called for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials for violations of the Genocide Convention under international law. She criticized the Israeli government for its ground invasion of Rafah, linking the US to the attack due to the funding provided. Tlaib accused Israeli forces of killing Palestinians and displacing families in Rafah, exposing them to inhumane conditions. She emphasized that US military funding for Israel must end, and President Biden should facilitate an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Tlaib expressed concern over her colleagues’ support of Netanyahu and said they enabled the atrocities in Rafah. She accused her colleagues and President Biden of giving their consent for these atrocities by providing weapons that facilitated the massacre. Tlaib also claimed that Netanyahu would stay in power as long as fighting continued and emphasized the importance of ending military funding for Israel. She urged the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials to hold them accountable for genocide under international law.
Despite Tlaib’s call for action, 12 US senators warned the ICC prosecutor against taking any action towards Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. They claimed that any such action would result in severe sanctions. The senators emphasized that the ICC should not punish Israel for legitimate actions of self-defense against Iranian-backed aggressors and warned against questioning the legitimacy of Israel’s laws and democratic government. They reminded the prosecutor of the absence of warrants for other world leaders accused of human rights violations.
The senators warned that targeting Israel or the US would result in the end of American support for the ICC, sanctions against ICC employees, and barring the prosecutor and his family from the US. They expressed that any action against either country would be interpreted as a threat to their sovereignty. The senators emphasized that there is no moral equivalence between Hamas’s terrorism and Israel’s response to threats. They criticized the ICC for its alleged hypocrisy and double standards in targeting Israel while ignoring other countries accused of human rights violations.
Tlaib’s office did not respond to requests for comments on whether Hamas leaders should also be held accountable for their actions in Israel. The press release highlighted the ongoing conflict in Rafah and the suffering of innocent Palestinians due to the ground invasion. Tlaib called for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza to end the humanitarian crisis. She emphasized the need to cut off US military funding for Israel and hold Israeli officials accountable for their actions. Tlaib urged the ICC to take action and issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials.
