from #TheGuardian
‘What’s happening is not genocide’: #Biden criticizes #ICC for seeking arrest warrants for #Israel officials – as it happened
[Live blog for May 20 - now closed, but still available]
Outlook is pro-Israel (no surprise), but has many quotes of reactions from [#Israeli politicians and experts about the ICC prosecutor's request for arrest warrants.]
#POTUS#Biden said #Israel’s #military assault in #Gaza after the #Hamas#Oct7 attacks “is not genocide.” “We reject that,” he said, telling an audience of #Jewish ldrs & activists Americans “stand with Israel.”
"The chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court sought arrest warrants Monday for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over actions taken during their seven-month war.
Every ranking officer participating in these criminal actions should be the target of #ICC for crimes against humanity and #WarCrimes.
The outrageous atrocities of Israeli forces against the civilian population of Gaza is beyond anything we have seen in modern times and sadly these barbaric acts go unpunished while #US, #UK and #Germany keep sending weapons and money to help Israel with their crimes against palestinians in Gaza.
It's not going to happen, but it's a step towards the right direction.
Judging by the way #ICC charged #Hamas, every ranking military serving in Gaza to be charged with #WarCrimes, just like they did with those in #Bosnia and #Rwandan.
But sadly, just #Netanyahu and #Gantz were those they could dare charging.
Tara Kangarlou, global affairs journalist, author of "The Hearthbeat of Iran" and adjunct professor at Georgetown University speaks to France24's Mark Owen. She says that the Islamic regime in #Iran is a system in which presidents and officials are replaceable. She adds that the deaths of president Ebrahim #Raisi and foreign minister Hossein #Amirabdollahian will not deter Iran from pursuing its goals in the region. #Israel#Hamas#Houthis#Gaza#Hezbollah
The #US House speaker, Mike Johnson, says that the House may vote on sanctions against the International Criminal Court for seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu.
"Congress is reviewing all options, including sanctions, to punish the #ICC and ensure its leadership faces consequences if they proceed," he said in a statement.
"Almost as soon as president Joe Biden announced he would halt a weapons shipment to Israel, Steve Witkoff’s iPhone started buzzing.
'Every one of my friends started calling and asking, "What can I do for Donald Trump?"' Witkoff, a pro-Israel donor and fundraiser for Trump’s presidential campaign, told The Bulwark."
The #ICC can issue for signatories countries an arrest warrant on #Netanyahu because it has jurisdiction over international crimes committed in #Palestine since 2012
BUT
If #Israel doesn't recognise the #ICC, its territory isn't included in the jurisdiction, and the crimes of Hamas where carried out there, then how can the #ICC issue a legally binding arrest warrant on Hamas leaders?
I don't know whether #JoeBiden's false implication that the #ICC warrants assert equivalency between #Israel's government and #Hamas is based on willful blindness to the facts or cynical political maneuvering.
Either way, it is immensely disappointing.
I guess we'll have to wait 105 years for the U.S. government to acknowledge that what's happening now is #genocide, just as we had to wait that long vis a vis the #ArmenianGenocide. #Gaza#GazaGenocide#politics
No, ICC's request for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu is not outrageous. What's outrageous is your defending of a corrupt extreme-right politician's genocidal war.
And good luck trying to explain to young voters how your idea about justice and "law and order" differs from that of the clown who's in court these days in NY.
The announcement that the #ICC prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav #Gallant as well as #Hamas leaders Yahya #Sinwar and Ismail #Haniyeh is a signal to Israel that the international community will not accept the perpetration of war crimes in response to war crimes, says Yossi Mekelberg, Associate Fellow, MENA Programme at Chatham House. He spoke to France24's Mark Owen #Gaza#Israel
#Biden and #Netanyahu's attempt to characterise the #ICC as likening #Israel to #Hamas is a despicable lie, worthy of the worst tyrants.
The ICC is judging Netanyahu and Hamas leaders individually against their actions and the law. That's it, and they should all have their innocence or guilt tested in court, just like everybody else and not be spinning lies to hide from that.
Matt Milller clashes with reporter as he smears the #ICC investigation on war crimes says Palestinians should go to Israel for investigations on Israeli caused war crimes
Matt Lee (AP): "Who does have jurisdiction here"
Miller: "Israel"
Lee: "So if Palestinians have complaints they have to go to Israeli courts"
Miller: "We have jurisdiction"
Lee: "I'm sorry how do you have jurisdiction.. .the US has no jurisdiction here"
The #US is now just embarrassing itself in front of the entire world.
Apparently, no one has jurisdiction over Israel for Israeli #WarCrimes and the Palestinians can only go to #Israel for legal protection from (checks notes) Israeli war crimes and #genocide
Partially correct in that #Israel is not a member of #ICC.
But ICC has jurisdiction over many countries. Its warrants remains effective there, just as the one against #Putin for his #WarCrimes in #Ukraine that is hindering his free travel.
>> decision to seek arrest warrants… is retribution against Israel for the original [sin] of existing as a #Jewish State