Actor George Clooney reportedly called one of President Biden’s top aides to complain about Biden’s criticism of the International Criminal Court seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a case that Clooney’s wife, lawyer Amal Clooney, worked on. Clooney was upset that the Biden administration was open to slapping the ICC with sanctions, potentially affecting his wife. The report comes before Clooney is set to appear at a fundraiser for Biden’s re-election campaign. The ICC chief prosecutor announced he was seeking to charge Netanyahu, Gallant, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and two other Hamas leaders with war crimes and crimes against humanity, a decision that Biden called “outrageous.”
House Democrats and Republicans voted on a bill to sanction the ICC, and Senate Republicans are pushing for a vote on the bill in the Senate. The ICC’s chief prosecutor has warned that attempts to interfere with the court’s work would be seen as an offense under its founding treaty, the Rome Statute. However, major world powers like the U.S., Israel, China, and Russia are not members of the court and do not recognize its jurisdiction. Israeli leaders deny committing crimes, stating they are defending their nation within international law. Because Israel does not acknowledge the ICC’s jurisdiction, even if warrants were issued, there is no immediate prospect of Netanyahu and Gallant being arrested.
A decision on whether to issue warrants is still pending, with judges needing to find “reasonable grounds to believe” that the crimes outlined in the prosecutor’s request were committed. Past requests for warrants have generally been approved by judges. The latest Gaza war began when Hamas-led militants crossed into Israel, resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of hostages. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza claims Israel’s military has killed over 36,000 Palestinians since the conflict began in October, a figure Israel disputes, accusing Hamas of operating in civilian areas.
Actor Clooney’s call to Biden’s aide highlights the politically charged nature of the ICC seeking arrest warrants for Israeli officials, with strong reactions from both supporters and opponents of the move. The U.S. and other major world powers not recognizing the ICC’s jurisdiction further complicates the situation. The decision on whether to issue warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant, and others is eagerly awaited, with the legal bar for approval being relatively low. The ongoing conflict in Gaza, with its high civilian death toll, continues to fuel tensions and accusations of war crimes on both sides. The role of international bodies like the ICC in holding individuals accountable for such actions remains a contentious issue in global politics.
