President Donald Trump has signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing it of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”.
The new measures places financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families assisting in ICC investigations of American citizens and allies.
Trump signed the measure as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington.
Last November, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza, which Israel denies. The ICC also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.
The International Criminal Court is a global court with the power to bring prosecutions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
In recent years, it has also issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, Taliban leaders for “persecuting Afghan girls and women” and Myanmar’s military leader for crimes against the Rohingya Muslims.
More than 120 countries are members of the court, including the UK and many European nations, but the US and Israel are not.
The Netherlands, which hosts the court, said it “regrets” Trump’s order.
A White House memo circulated on Thursday accused the Hague-based ICC of creating a “shameful moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel by issuing the warrants at the same time.
Trump’s executive order said the ICC’s recent actions “set a dangerous precedent” that endangered Americans by exposing them to “harassment, abuse and possible arrest”.
“This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel,” the order said.
During his last weeks in office, President Biden also criticised the ICC’s warrant for Netanyahu, calling the move “outrageous” and saying there was no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
