One of the first acts of the Republican-led 119th Congress was to pass a bill that would sanction officials attempting to arrest or investigate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes committed in Gaza.
The “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act” passed on Thursday in a 243 to 140 vote, with 45 Democrats joining the majority of Republicans. Rep. Thomas Massie was the only member of the GOP caucus not to vote in favor of the bill.
“The US House did only one thing today. We passed a bill to protect Israeli PM Netanyahu from the International Criminal Court. I voted present,” Massie explained on X. “The ICC has no authority over the United States, but we should not get involved in disputes between other countries. Focus on [the US]!”
The legislation was co-sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Florida Republican Brian Mast, who is a veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces. The two lawmakers prioritized the bill as a show of support for Tel Aviv, and AIPAC has called on lawmakers to vote in favor of the measure.
If signed into law, the bill would impose sanctions on the ICC over “any effort to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.” The sanctions include prohibiting US property transactions and blocking and revoking visas.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SC) said he plans to bring the bill to a floor vote in the upper chamber. A number of Senate Democrats have also voiced support for the legislation, though Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said some in her party were “looking at whether there’s an opportunity to offer an alternative” to the bill.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after ample evidence emerged that the IDF was conducting a war of extermination against the Palestinians in Gaza.
The Israeli onslaught in Gaza has been aided by Washington, with the Joe Biden administration providing Israel with $22 billion in military aid during the first year of the genocide. Last week, Biden approved a final arms sale to Tel Aviv that includes many of the missiles, bombs, and artillery shells that have been used to devastate Gaza.
Still, many Republicans in Washington have criticized Biden for not giving Israel enough support.
