Sen. Lindsey Graham gave a stark warning to foreign nations Friday after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Graham was interviewing with Fox News host Sean Hannity, who asked the South Carolina senator about the ICC’s move to call for the arrests of Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday.
“If you are going to help the ICC as a nation and force their arrest warrant against Bibi and Gallant, the former defense minister, I will put sanctions on you as a nation,” Graham said in the interview.
“You’re going to have to pick the rogue ICC versus America. I’m working with [Senator] Tom Cotton to have legislation passed as soon as we can to sanction any country that aids and abets the arrest of any politician in Israel.
“So, to any ally, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, if you try to help the ICC, we’re going to sanction you,” Graham said.
Hannity pressed Graham further as to what the penalty should be if a nation tried to follow the arrest orders.
“We should crush your economy,” Graham said.
Situation in the State of Palestine:#ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I rejects the State of Israel’s challenges to jurisdiction and issues warrants of arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. Learn more ⤵️ https://t.co/opHUjZG8BL
— Int’l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) November 21, 2024
Should the United States defend Netanyahu?
The ICC ruled that Netanyahu and Gallant “each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts,” the ICC said in a news release.
“The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant each bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.”
Israel tried to prevent the arrest warrants, arguing that the ICC had no jurisdiction over Israel. But the court said it could issue them as part of the “territorial jurisdication of Palestine,” Fox News reported.
Graham contested this point in particular in his interview with Hannity.
“Now let me say this: The court ruled that Gaza is a “state.” No, there is no Palestinian state under international law. So, that’s the first thing they got wrong. And Israel is not a member of the International Criminal Court, nor are we.”
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has been vocal against the arrest warrants as well.
On X, Cotton called out ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, calling him “deranged,” while seemingly implying that the U.S. could invade The Hague, Netherlands, where the ICC is headquartered.
The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) November 21, 2024
“The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic,” he wrote. “Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants.
“Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it.”
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