The U.S. House of Representatives moved to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister’s arrest warrants for Israel’s Gaza campaign.
The “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” passed 243 to 140, would sanction foreigners who investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute non-court member U.S. citizens or those of an allied country, including Israel.
In a House speech prior to the vote, Representative Brian Mast, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated, “America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel.”
In the first vote of the House this week, President-elect Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans demonstrated their unwavering support for Israel’s government, bolstered by the new Republican majority in both houses of Congress.
On January 20, President Trump will take office for his second term.
