While rogue regimes and dictators who commit atrocities are ignored, the court targets Israel—a democracy defending itself against terrorists.

1 December 2024, The Jerusalem Press – This past Thanksgiving, American Jews have much to be thankful for, even amid increasing challenges. The Jewish community has shown remarkable resilience in the face of rising antisemitism. On campuses, youth activism and engagement in Jewish life are creating a vibrant future for Jewish identity and advocacy. We are grateful for the Israel Defense Forces’ unwavering defense of Israel and for the enduring support of friends and allies of Jews and Israelis around the world. The enduring U.S.-Israel relationship remains firm. The newly signed truce with Hezbollah in Lebanon offers a glimmer of hope after more than a year of war in Israel’s north. These victories remind us of the strength and unity that define the Jewish people.

Still, the International Criminal Court, which was established to prosecute the world’s most heinous war criminals, has become a tool for political bias. Its recent decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders on unfounded allegations of war crimes reflects a dangerous trend. While rogue regimes and dictators who commit atrocities are ignored, the ICC relentlessly targets Israel—a democracy defending itself against terrorists. This is not justice; it is a perversion of the ICC’s mission and an attack on the legitimacy of the Jewish state.

Court ignores actual war criminals

The ICC recently issued international arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who are now considered “fugitives.” They are subject to arrest upon arrival in more than 100 countries. The warrants could limit their international travel and strain diplomatic relations while emboldening Israel’s adversaries to escalate their delegitimization campaigns. This ruling sets a dangerous precedent, targeting a democracy defending itself while ignoring atrocities by authoritarian regimes. This new precedent could apply in the future to American soldiers and officials.

There's a simple reason why the US should expect allies & partners to renounce the legitimacy of today's ICC arrest warrants: The precedent established will apply to US soldiers & officials. Hard to call yourself an ally/partner if you support ICC arrest warrants for Americans.

— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) November 21, 2024

The ICC has consistently turned a blind eye to well-documented atrocities in Iran, Syria, North Korea and other authoritarian states. Syria’s brutal dictator Bashar Assad is responsible for more than 300,000 civilian deaths since he sparked a civil war in 2011. The court has not issued an arrest warrant for him, despite extensive evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Iran is another example where the ICC looks the other way. A new report documents the Islamic Republic’s financial sponsorship of Hamas and planning assistance for the terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei directed the torture and murder of Iranian civilians during protests in 2017, 2019 and 2022, and continues to oppress his own citizens. Russia’s dictator, Vladimir Putin, was indicted by the court for a war he initiated against a sovereign country, Ukraine.

Hamas war crimes and false allegations

Terrorists in Gaza operate in schools, hospitals and residential areas, intentionally endangering civilians on both sides of the conflict. Hamas, with its record of committing crimes against humanity, continues to hold 101 Israeli hostages and opposes ceasefires. The ICC failed to hold Hamas leaders accountable, even after they committed documented atrocities in the Oct. 7 massacre. The court recently issued irrelevant warrants for now-deceased Hamas terrorists while ignoring senior leaders who live abroad lavishly, enriched by looted aid money intended for suffering Palestinians.

The ICC’s decision accused Israeli leaders of using starvation as a weapon of war. This false claim was raised as early as Oct. 8. It is part of a broader pattern of false accusations against Israel, including genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid—long weaponized against the Jewish state. Credible reports debunk the starvation charge, noting Israel’s facilitation of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Stealing goods for Palestinian residents of Gaza has been a rampant problem; even the United Nations admitted that gangs looted about 100 aid trucks.

Selective persecution: Inherent anti-Israel bias

The ICC was created in 2002 as a court of last resort to bring perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity—not for democracies with independent judicial systems. Its actions against Israel reflect the same bias seen in other international bodies, including the United Nations, where anti-Israel resolutions outnumber those targeting the worst human-rights offenders. Instead of addressing mass atrocities by dictatorships, the court amplifies efforts to delegitimize Israel, enabling regimes like Iran and Syria to evade accountability. Israel and the United States are not members of the court, rejecting its jurisdiction on the grounds that it undermines national sovereignty.

The court’s targeting of Israel undermines its own legitimacy. Its actions play into the hands of Israel’s enemies who are dedicated to destroying the Jewish state by any means necessary, including using the legal system. This is known as lawfare. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said that “the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants against the leadership of Israel represents the weaponization of international law at its most egregious. The ICC has set a precedent for criminalizing self-defense.”

For his part, Gallant responded to the development, saying: “The ICC legitimizes the murder of babies, the rape of women and the abduction of the elderly from their beds and sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense and moral warfare while encouraging murderous terrorism.”

The world’s worst dictators cheer while allies stand firm

The ICC decision was celebrated by Israel’s adversaries, further discrediting the court. Hamas called it “an important step towards justice,” and the Palestinian Authority also applauded the decision. Such rhetoric exposes the intent not to achieve justice but to destroy Israel’s legitimacy. Iran’s leaders, who fund Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, praised the decision while continuing their campaign of global terror and oppression. Iran’s Khamenei, who is dedicated to Israel’s destruction, absurdly called for the execution of Israeli leaders instead of arrest warrants.

The United States and the United Kingdom have strongly rejected the decision, which exposes the ICC’s bias and risks undermining its credibility. Washington announced its “fundamental rejection of the court arrest warrants” and the British government firmly stated that “there is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terrorist organizations.” Some supporters of Israel stood up in direct defiance of the court and invited the Israeli leaders to visit their countries.

Points to consider:

1. Palestinian terrorists are the true perpetrators of war crimes and civilian suffering.

Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups are directly responsible for the ongoing suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis. On Oct. 7, Hamas launched a genocidal assault targeting Israeli civilians while intentionally endangering Palestinians—clear violations of international law. They stockpile weapons in schools, hospitals and mosques, and fire rockets from residential areas to manipulate global sympathy. The real war crimes are committed by terrorists prioritizing destruction and hatred over the well-being of those they claim to represent.

2. There is no moral equivalency between Palestinian terrorists and Israeli leaders.

Attempts to equate Israel’s defensive actions with the atrocities committed by Palestinian terrorists are false and deeply immoral. Hamas massacred more than 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, including women, children and the elderly, in a genocidal assault. And it kidnapped 251 people, mostly civilians—101 of who are still being held captive in Gaza. In sharp contrast, Israel’s leaders, operate under strict ethical guidelines, seeking to minimize civilian harm. A false moral equivalency undermines justice and absolves Hamas of its crimes. Palestinian terrorists aim for Israel’s destruction. Israelis want to live in peace and security. The international community must reject this equivalency and hold terrorists accountable.

3. Israel is committed to upholding legal and moral principles.

Israel is a democracy with an independent judiciary that holds leaders accountable. In 2016, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former President Moshe Katsav were both serving prison sentences at the same time—Olmert for bribery and Katsav for rape—proving that no one is above the law. Israel’s actions in conflict zones prioritize minimizing civilian harm while defending its citizens against terrorism. The ICC’s decision ignores these realities, unfairly targeting a nation that upholds the rule of law, ethical governance and democratic principles.

4. International groups display strong anti-Israel bias.

Global institutions like the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch consistently display anti-Israel bias against the region’s only democracy, while ignoring abuses by dictatorships. Israel, a nation that upholds human rights and democratic values, faces disproportionate scrutiny, while egregious human-rights regimes in Iran, Syria and Russia evade serious accountability. This double standard undermines credibility, perpetuates bias against the Jewish people and emboldens oppressive regimes. To restore trust in their mission, international groups must hold true violators accountable and ensure justice is applied impartially.

5. The anti-Israel chorus resorts to hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories.

Anti-Israel rhetoric surrounding the ICC’s decision is steeped in bias, invoking conspiracy theories and promoting hate. Hamas perversely declared that the decision was an “important step towards justice,” and the Palestinian Authority praised it. Hateful narratives that reference a “Zionist holocaust regime” perpetuate antisemitism, including violent attacks against Jews and their communities in America and throughout the world. Anti-Israel activists used inflammatory language and hate-filled rhetoric to scapegoat, delegitimize and isolate the Jewish state while undermining its right to self-defense.

For More Information:

Arrest Warrants Reveal ICC’s Anti-Israel Bias {26 Nov 2024}

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