Former US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), condemning it for what he calls illegitimate and baseless actions against the United States and Israel. The order enforces financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families who assist ICC investigations targeting American citizens or allies.
The move follows the ICC’s recent issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza, a charge that Israel strongly denies. The ICC also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander, leading the White House to accuse the court of creating a shameful moral equivalency between Israel and Hamas.
Trump signed the executive order during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, signaling strong US support for Israel. The order warns that the ICC’s actions set a dangerous precedent, potentially exposing Americans to unwarranted legal action. It further asserts that both the US and Israel are thriving democracies with militaries that strictly adhere to international laws.
The US has never been a member of the ICC and has repeatedly rejected its jurisdiction over American officials. Trump previously sanctioned ICC officials investigating alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan during his first term, though President Joe Biden later lifted those restrictions.
Recently, the US House of Representatives passed a measure to impose sanctions on the ICC, but the legislation has stalled in the Senate. The Biden administration has also criticized the ICC’s move against Netanyahu, with Biden calling the arrest warrant outrageous.
The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity when national authorities fail to act. While over 120 countries have ratified the Rome Statute that governs the ICC, the US and Israel have never been parties to it.
Trump’s latest actions coincide with his proposal to take over Gaza and transform it into the Riviera of the Middle East. The idea, announced alongside Netanyahu, received widespread criticism from Arab leaders and the United Nations. Trump later reaffirmed the proposal on his Truth Social platform, suggesting Israel would hand over control of Gaza to the United States once the conflict ends.
Netanyahu’s Washington visit also included discussions with US lawmakers from both parties. During his meetings, he presented Trump with a golden pager, referencing Israel’s September operation against Hezbollah, which reportedly resulted in significant casualties. While Israel claims the attack targeted Hezbollah members, Lebanese officials assert that civilians were among the victims.
