Johnson threatens ICC sanctions vote over Netanyahu arrest warrant application
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The International Criminal Court building in the Hague, Netherlands, on April 30, 2024. Photo: Selman Aksunger/Anadolu via Getty Images.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Monday that the House may vote on sanctions against the International Criminal Court for seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Why it matters: The vote, which GOP sources told Axios could come as soon as this week, is poised to once again divide House Democrats over Israel.
- Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) has introduced a bill that would sanction ICC officials who investigate U.S. citizens or allies. It's supported by nearly two dozen other Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chair of the House Republican Conference.
Driving the news: ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced he is seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and three Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, over alleged war crimes, Axios' Barak Ravid reported.
- The application marks the first time the ICC has sought to prosecute a major U.S. ally or the leader of a democratic country.
- Neither Israel nor the U.S. are members of the ICC.
What they're saying: "Congress is reviewing all options, including sanctions, to punish the ICC and ensure its leadership faces consequences if they proceed," Johnson said in a statement.
- Johnson accused the Biden administration of helping to advance the prosecution with its efforts to rein in Israel's military operations in Gaza.
- Biden called the application "outrageous" in a statement that also criticized Khan for equating the actions of Israel with those of Hamas.
- Asked about Johnson's criticism, the White House referred back to Biden's public statement.
Zoom in: It's not just Republican lawmakers hitting back at the ICC. "I completely reject the ICC prosecutor's announcement," Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) told Axios in a statement.
- Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), another staunch Israel supporter, said the decision to seek a warrant against Netanyahu is "not law but politics."
- In remarks that echoed Biden's, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said there is "no equivalence" between Israel and Hamas and that equating them "demonstrates the ICC's gaping moral failure."
Zoom out: Members of Congress have spent the weeks since news of potential warrants for Israel officials broke engaging behind the scenes with the ICC to try to forestall the prosecution.
- That included a virtual meeting between a bipartisan group of senators and senior ICC officials in which the senators voiced their concerns about the investigation.
- House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told Axios earlier this month that lawmakers were using the sanctions legislation as a "precaution" against the warrants.
- GOP senators are waiting on the House before pushing their own version of a sanctions bill according to a Senate GOP staffer familiar with the planning.
The other side: Some progressive lawmakers are overjoyed about the decision.
- "If Netanyahu comes to address Congress, I would be more than glad to show the ICC the way to the House floor to issue that warrant," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.).
- Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said in a statement the ICC "must be allowed to conduct its work independently and without interference," calling Khan's allegations "significant."
Axios' Stef Kight and Juliegrace Brufke contributed reporting for this story.
Editor's note: The story and headline have been corrected to reflect that the ICC is seeking arrest warrants (not that they have been issued). This story has been updated with additional reporting.
