When Joe Biden took office as president, he pledged to pursue a policy that adhered to international law and justice. However, the Biden administration, which supported the arrest warrant issued by the ICC for Russian President Putin in recent years, is accused of applying double standards by rejecting the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu and Gallant. This situation calls into question the US’s commitment to human rights and international law.
Four years ago, Joe Biden took office promising to distance himself from the wrong policies of his predecessor Donald Trump and to respect the rules of the international system. However, the Biden administration’s stance during Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip contradicted these promises.
On his first day in office, January 20, 2021, Biden re-introduced the US to the Agreement, which Trump had withdrawn from, and lifted Trump’s sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, despite Israel’s violations of international law in its attacks on Gaza, the Biden administration did not back down from its open support for Israel.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The decision has left the Biden administration in a difficult moral position. The White House said it “fundamentally rejects” the court’s decision and “deeply concerns about the decision.”
Biden supported the ICC’s decisions to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his attacks on Ukraine, while calling the decision taken against Israeli officials “shameful.” This stance has once again exposed the contradictions in Biden’s approach to international law.
Meanwhile, Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton are preparing to press Congress to impose sanctions on the ICC. Republicans who criticize the ICC argue that the institution harms the security of the United States and its allies.
Craig Martin, a professor at Washburn University School of Law, criticized the Biden administration’s threats against the ICC, saying the institution is a fundamental element of the international legal system and that the US should support it. Martin noted that the US needs this system to limit the actions of countries like Russia and China.
Quincy Institute Vice President Trita Parsi said Biden had sacrificed US credibility in the international arena to protect Israeli leaders. York University International Law Professor Heidi Matthews stressed that the Biden administration was coordinating with Israel against the ICC and said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was worsened by Biden’s policies.
Biden’s support for Israel is associated with his self-description as a “Zionist” since his meeting with then-Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in 1972. According to experts, this ideological commitment causes Biden to avoid serious pressure on Israel.
This situation reveals the deep contradiction between Biden’s rhetoric on international law and human rights and his policies in practice.When Joe Biden took office as president, he pledged to pursue a policy that adhered to international law and justice. However, the Biden administration, which supported the arrest warrant issued by the ICC for Russian President Putin in recent years, is accused of applying double standards by rejecting the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu and Gallant. This situation calls into question the US’s commitment to human rights and international law.
Four years ago, Joe Biden took office promising to distance himself from the wrong policies of his predecessor Donald Trump and to respect the rules of the international system. However, the Biden administration’s stance during Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip contradicted these promises.
On his first day in office, January 20, 2021, Biden re-introduced the US to the Paris Climate Agreement, which Trump had withdrawn from, and lifted Trump’s sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, despite Israel’s violations of international law in its attacks on Gaza, the Biden administration did not back down from its open support for Israel.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The decision has left the Biden administration in a difficult moral position. The White House said it “fundamentally rejects” the court’s decision and “deeply concerns about the decision.”
Biden supported the ICC’s decisions to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his attacks on Ukraine, while calling the decision taken against Israeli officials “shameful.” This stance has once again exposed the contradictions in Biden’s approach to international law.
Meanwhile, Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton are preparing to press Congress to impose sanctions on the ICC. Republicans who criticize the ICC argue that the institution harms the security of the United States and its allies.
Craig Martin, a professor at Washburn University School of Law, criticized the Biden administration’s threats against the ICC, saying the institution is a fundamental element of the international legal system and that the US should support it. Martin noted that the US needs this system to limit the actions of countries like Russia and China.
Quincy Institute Vice President Trita Parsi said Biden had sacrificed US credibility in the international arena to protect Israeli leaders. York University International Law Professor Heidi Matthews stressed that the Biden administration was coordinating with Israel against the ICC and said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was worsened by Biden’s policies.
Biden’s support for Israel is associated with his self-description as a “Zionist” since his meeting with then-Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in 1972. According to experts, this ideological commitment causes Biden to avoid serious pressure on Israel.
This situation reveals the deep contradiction between Biden’s rhetoric on international law and human rights and his policies in practice.
