A group of influential Republican senators has sent a letter to International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan, warning him not to issue international arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, and threatening him with “severe sanctions” if he does so.
In a terse, one-page letter obtained exclusively by Zeteo, and signed by 12 GOP senators, including Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Florida’s Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz of Texas, Khan is informed that any attempt by the ICC to hold Netanyahu and his colleagues to account for their actions in Gaza will be interpreted “not only as a threat to Israel’s sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States.”
“Target Israel and we will target you,” the senators tell Khan, adding that they will “sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States.”
Rather ominously, the letter concludes: “You have been warned.”
In a statement to Zeteo, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said, “It is fine to express opposition to a possible judicial action, but it is absolutely wrong to interfere in a judicial matter by threatening judicial officers, their family members and their employees with retribution. This thuggery is something befitting the mafia, not U.S. senators.”
@ISIDEWITH1 mjesec1MO
How would you react if your government threatened severe actions against an international institution to protect its citizens from legal prosecution abroad?
@ISIDEWITH1 mjesec1MO
Should international law apply to all countries equally, or are there situations where exceptions should be made?
@ISIDEWITH1 mjesec1MO
Is it okay for a country to protect its allies by any means necessary, even if it involves threats against international legal bodies?
@ISIDEWITH1 mjesec1MO
Do you believe it's right for a group of lawmakers to threaten international judges and their families over potential legal decisions?
@ISIDEWITH1 mjesec1MO
How would you feel if another country threatened your nation's leaders with arrest for actions they believed were justified?