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For Immediate Release
June, 25 2019, 12:00am EDT
Contact:
Mana Mostatabi, 202.386.6325 x103, mmostatabi@niacouncil.org
NIAC Applauds NDAA Amendment Aimed at Blocking Trump's Path to War
WASHINGTON
Today, an amendment was offered to the FY20 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would block an unauthorized war against Iran. The amendment, introduced by Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), has wide support including from the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Eliot Engel and the Chairman of the House Rules Committee Jim McGovern. Many other legislators - including Reps. Anna Eshoo, Andy Levin, Barbara Lee, Seth Moulton, and Anthony Brown - who have been champions in the effort to ensure Trump doesn't lead us into an unauthorized war are already signed on as original cosponsors of the amendment.
In response to the amendment's introduction, NIAC President Jamal Abdi issued the following statement:
"Congress may be all that is standing between Donald Trump and war with Iran. It is crucial that lawmakers summon the wherewithal to act as a co-equal branch of government to stand up against a disastrous war with Iran.
"The Khanna-Gaetz amendment is a strong response to the growing risks of war with Iran that stem directly from President Trump's disastrous maximum pressure approach.
"After nearly two decades of endless war, the American people do not want another reckless war of choice with Iran. Congress must ensure that the defense authorization rules out war with Iran by passing the Khanna-Gaetz amendment in the House, the Udall-Kaine amendment in the Senate and protecting the provisions from pro-war legislators.
"Recent events have only underscored the importance of ruling out an unauthorized war with Iran. Our thin-skinned President lashed out on Twitter this morning in response to a mistranslation of an Iranian statement, and maintains that he does not need Congressional authorization to start a war. Other Members of Congress - including Mitch McConnell and Tom Cotton - have shamefully played defense for Trump's reckless actions in an attempt to keep the path to war with Iran open."
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 2002 to give voice to the Iranian-American community. From being the trusted voice on U.S.- Iran relations, to pushing forth legislation that protects individuals of Iranian heritage from systematic discrimination, to celebrating our cultural heritage, NIAC creates a lasting impact in the lives of the members of our community.
(202) 386-6325LATEST NEWS
'War Criminals Are Not Welcome': Dearborn Mayor Says He Would Arrest Netanyahu
"Our president may not take action, but city leaders can ensure Netanyahu and other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States," said Major Abdullah Hammoud.
Nov 21, 2024
The Biden administration on Thursday said it "fundamentally" rejected the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israel's prime minister and ex-defense minister—but the Dearborn, Michigan mayor who has been an outspoken critic of U.S. support for Israel in recent months said he would join the majority of countries in recognizing the court's jurisdiction, and would carry out the warrants if given the chance.
"Our president may not take action, but city leaders can ensure [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States," said Mayor Abdullah Hammoud on the social media platform X.
Hammoud said Dearborn authorities would arrest Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant if they set foot within city limits, and called on other cities across the United States to do the same.
The ICC said Thursday that it had found "reasonable grounds" to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant for "crimes against humanity and war crimes," more than 13 months after Israel began its bombardment and near-total blockade on Gaza. The court also issued a warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, who was killed in an airstrike in July. The ICC said it could not confirm Deif's death.
In May, President Joe Biden said ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan's application for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant was "outrageous."
On Thursday, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said the Biden administration was "deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants."
The U.S. is joined by powerful governments including those of China, Russia, Israel, and India in refusing to recognize the ICC's jurisdiction; 124 countries are parties to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC as a court that prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes.
Gaza officials say the death toll in the enclave has passed 44,000 since Israel began its assault, with Gallant saying he had "released all the restraints" on the military. Nearly 70% of deaths verified by the United Nations in Gaza have been among women and children. Israel also faces a case at the International Court of Justice in which South Africa and several other countries have accused it of genocidal acts.
The Irish Foreign Ministry on Thursday called on all governments to respect the ICC's "independence and impartiality, with no attempts made to undermine the court."
Progressive U.S. advocacy group RootsAction urged "people everywhere to perform a citizen's arrest of Netanyahu wherever he can be found, including in Washington D.C."
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a U.S.-based human rights group, noted that "Article 25(3)(c) of the Rome Statute outlines clear criminal liability for aiding and abetting war crimes, which applies to individuals in non-member states like the U.S. when their actions enable violations under ICC jurisdiction."
"By continuing to provide military assistance to Israeli officials," said DAWN advocacy director Raed Jarrar, "despite credible accusations of war crimes by the ICC, U.S. leaders—including President Biden, Secretary [Antony] Blinken, and Secretary [Lloyd] Austin—are exposing themselves to personal liability under international law."
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Trump National Security Advisor Pick Threatens ICC Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant
Republican Rep. Mike Waltz declared that the International Criminal Court, which is recognized by more than 120 nations including major U.S. allies, "has no credibility."
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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for national security advisor on Thursday threatened the International Criminal Court with "a strong response" after the body formally issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's former defense minister, and Hamas' military chief, accusing the three of grave war crimes.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), a vocal supporter of Israel's assault on Gaza, wrote on social media that the ICC "has no credibility," even though the court is recognized by 124 countries around the world—including Germany, the United Kingdom, and other major U.S. allies.
Waltz added that the ICC's "allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government," alluding to the Biden administration's widely rejected assessment that Israel's conduct in Gaza has been lawful.
"Israel has lawfully defended its people and borders from genocidal terrorists," Waltz wrote, vowing that the Trump administration would take action against supposed "antisemitic bias" at the ICC and United Nations.
Waltz's response to the arrest warrants offered a glimpse of the hostile approach the incoming Trump administration and the Republican Congress intend to take toward international efforts to hold the Israeli government to account for war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip—many of which have been
carried out with U.S. weaponry.
"It is reasonable to expect that once Trump comes in, he will go after the ICC and the [International Court of Justice] in ways that profoundly damage the multilateral system," said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
"It is important to remember, however, that so did Biden," Parsi added.
After the ICC's chief prosecutor filed his applications for arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant, and members of Hamas' leadership in May, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement questioning the legitimacy of the requests and reiterating the administration's view that the court "has no jurisdiction over this matter."
Blinken earlier this year also
signaled support for potential sanctions against the ICC, a punitive step that Republicans—including the incoming leader of the GOP Senate majority, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)—have demanded.
Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognizes the ICC, but the court has said it has jurisdiction over Israeli actions in Gaza given that
Palestine is an ICC member. The Biden administration has been accused of hypocrisy on the issue of ICC jurisdiction given that it welcomed the court's arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As of this writing, the U.S. State Department has not responded to the ICC warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri. The department canceled its daily press briefing for Thursday.
"The European Union and other major democratic powers should immediately put in place measures to protect the safety and integrity of the International Criminal Court and its staff."
Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), said in a statement Thursday that the ICC's arrest warrants "are a milestone for justice and accountability, and just about the only thing that stands a chance of saving international law at a moment of U.S.-backed genocidal Israeli impunity."
"Every member state of the International Criminal Court—and even its erstwhile champions like the U.S.—has a duty to swiftly arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant at the first opportunity they get," said Whitson.
Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, DAWN's director of research for Israel-Palestine, added that "in light of the threats already made by President-elect Trump and existing U.S. legislation known as the ' Hague Invasion Act,' the European Union and other major democratic powers should immediately put in place measures to protect the safety and integrity of the International Criminal Court and its staff."
The ICC has no police force of its own, making it reliant on member states to execute arrest warrants.
Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, said Thursday that the ICC's warrants must "be respected and implemented."
"This decision is a binding decision on all state parties of the court, which includes all members of the European Union," Borrell added.
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ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas Leader
A panel of ICC judges said there are "reasonable grounds to believe" Israel's prime minister and former defense minister are guilty of "the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare" and other "crimes against humanity."
Nov 21, 2024
This is a developing news story... Please check back for possible updates...
After months of deliberation, the International Criminal Court on Thursday formally issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri.
The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, a panel of judges, said in a statement that it unanimously rejected Israel's challenges to arrest warrant applications submitted in May by Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the ICC.
"The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest," the panel said, specifically alleging "the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare" and "the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts."
The announcement came as the official death toll from Israel's war on the Gaza Strip surpassed 44,000.
The ICC judges said they "found reasonable grounds to believe" that Netanyahu and Gallant "intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity." The panel also said it "found reasonable grounds to believe that no clear military need or other justification under international humanitarian law could be identified for the restrictions placed on access for humanitarian relief operations."
"Finally, the Chamber assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza," the judges added.
The panel issued a separate statement announcing an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, saying it found "reasonable grounds to believe" he is "responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder; extermination; torture; and rape and other form of sexual violence; as well as the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture; taking hostages; outrages upon personal dignity; and rape and other forms of sexual violence."
Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognize the ICC's jurisdiction, and the decision is expected to spark backlash from both countries.
Over the summer, in response to Khan's May application for arrest warrants, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would impose sanctions on the ICC. More than 40 House Democrats supported the measure, which has not received a vote in the narrowly Democratic Senate.
U.K. Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party, called the ICC arrest warrants "long overdue" and urged the government of Keir Starmer to "immediately endorse this decision."
"That is the bare minimum," Corbyn wrote on social media. "Will the U.K. government now, finally, honor its international obligations to prevent genocide and end all arms sales to Israel?"
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