Israel first US lawmakers fail to push through ICC sanctions bill

Efforts by pro-Israel lawmakers to punish the International Criminal Court (ICC) for trying to hold the apartheid state to account for war crimes and crimes against humanity suffered a blow yesterday after Democrat senators struck down a bill aimed at imposing sanctions on court officials.

The bill, which would have compelled the US president to freeze assets and deny visas to foreign nationals associated with ICC investigations, failed to secure the necessary 60 votes in the Senate. The final tally stood at 54-45, with Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania being the only Democrat to break ranks and support the measure.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led the opposition, arguing that whilst he opposed what he termed the ICC’s “deep bias against Israel”, the bill was “poorly drafted and deeply problematic”. Schumer warned that the legislation could have numerous unintended consequences that would undermine its primary objective.

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Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, raised concerns about the bill’s broad scope. She noted that the sanctions could affect not only court officials but also civil servants, their families and even catering and sanitation workers at the ICC.

The defeat of the legislation marks a significant shift from its reception in the House, where it had garnered substantial bipartisan support.

The ICC’s decision to investigate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes has sparked controversy in Washington. The court’s Prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced in May that he would pursue charges against both parties following Israel’s military onslaught on Gaza, which has claimed more than 47,300 lives, the vast majority of whom are women and children.

A number of European states granted Netanyahu immunity from the ICC arrest warrant and this week, President Donald Trump invited the Israeli prime minister to the White House.

Despite the bill’s failure, Schumer indicated that Democrats remained open to supporting a revised version of the measure, provided Republicans would consider amendments to address their concerns about its scope and impact.

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