President Joe Biden criticized the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor on Monday for seeking arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, denouncing the move as a false equivalence that equates Hamas’ terrorist tactics with Israeli self-defense.
Earlier in the day, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan KC issued a statement calling for arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas military chief Mohammed al-Masri, and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Khan stated that the charges against the Israeli leaders include “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, willfully causing great suffering, persecution as a crime against humanity, and extermination and/or murder.”
This marks the first time in the court’s history that a sitting head of state and a sitting defense minister of a country with support from western democracies such as the US and UK have been subject to ICC jurisdiction.
The US and Israel do not recognize the court and have not signed on to the treaty outlining its powers and responsibilities.
In his statement, President Biden did not address the Hamas leaders but called the application for arrest warrants against Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant “outrageous.”
“Let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas,” Mr. Biden said.
The American president added that the US “will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
