Joe Biden defended Israel in the face of international justice on Monday, deeming the request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders “scandalous” and brushing aside the accusation of “genocide” for the offensive in Gaza.
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“What is happening is not genocide, we reject” this term, he said, referring to a case brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court of the UN, before in which Israel is accused of “genocide”.
During a reception for the Jewish community at the White House, the 81-year-old Democrat also repeated that the United States opposed the approach of the prosecutor of another jurisdiction, the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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This magistrate on Monday requested arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister.
“We reject” this request, Joe Biden said, repeating that his support for Israel was “unwavering”.
“Scandalous”
“We are alongside Israel to eliminate (Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya) Sinouar and the rest of the butchers of the Palestinian movement,” he declared, promising to act “against all odds” to free the hostages kidnapped during the October 7 attack.
Previously, the American president had already issued a terse statement describing the ICC prosecutor’s request as “scandalous”, while the head of diplomacy Antony Blinken declared that the magistrate’s approach was “a shame”.
The United States, however, will continue to “provide (their support for the ICC) with regard to the crimes committed in Ukraine”, for his part underlined the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin.
In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused of the war crime of illegal expulsion of Ukrainian children.
“I will be clear: whatever the prosecutor insinuates, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas, there is none,” asserted Joe Biden in his press release.
Antony Blinken said in a statement that the prosecutor’s request “could compromise” talks on a ceasefire in Gaza.
Furthermore, the ICC has “no jurisdiction” over Israel, he recalled.
Neither Israel nor the United States is a member of the ICC.
“Genocide”
In the eighth month of the war in the Gaza Strip, the ICC prosecutor requested arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and his defense minister as well as three Hamas leaders for alleged crimes against humanity.
Karim Khan said he had requested warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for crimes such as “deliberately starving civilians,” “intentional homicide” and “extermination and/or murder.”
Charges against Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinouar, include “extermination,” “rape and other forms of sexual violence,” and “hostage-taking as a war crime.”
The ICC is a permanent jurisdiction responsible for prosecuting and trying individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Founded in 2002, this institution, which today has 124 member states, has only handed down a handful of convictions since its creation.
The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and judges disputes between States.
It was seized by South Africa, which accuses Israel of “genocide” in the conduct of its military offensive in Gaza.
The ICC and the ICJ sit in The Hague (Netherlands).
