By Riffat Kausar
Snn News Finland
Netanyahu Rubio ICC Call Signals Escalating US Pressure on The Hague
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Vows reaffirmed Washington’s intention to act forcefully against the International Criminal Court (ICC), during a phone call described by Netanyahu on Sunday.
According to Netanyahu, he spoke with Rubio the previous night, and Rubio Vows reiterated the US intention to act firmly against the ICC, which Netanyahu described as endangering justice worldwide and threatening the right of sovereign states to exercise their own security decisions.
Netanyahu attributed the remarks to Rubio in his own account of the call; Rubio’s office has not independently confirmed the exact wording.
Context: Netanyahu-Rubio Call Comes Amid Wider ICC Dispute
The call took place as Netanyahu prepared to discuss Iran with US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu said Iran, along with a broader Israeli campaign in the West Bank, would be central topics in his meeting with Trump in Washington.
Netanyahu also criticized the ICC’s outgoing chief prosecutor directly.
He said the prosecutor had sought to divert attention and rally critics of Israel around himself as a form of protective cover, and claimed that cover had since been stripped away, exposing what Netanyahu called deep corruption within the prosecutor’s office and the court more broadly.
This is not the first time Netanyahu has credited Rubio with confronting the court. In a separate, earlier instance, Netanyahu said Rubio Vows had told him the US was “determined to act forcefully” against the ICC following the removal of former chief prosecutor Karim Khan a move Netanyahu welcomed as exposing what he called bias against Israel.
US Actions Against the ICC Have Included Sanctions
Washington’s opposition to the court predates this latest call. The US has already imposed sanctions on multiple ICC judges and prosecutors over the court’s pursuit of Israeli officials, and Rubio Vows has separately written that the administration intends to dismantle the court’s authority piece by piece.
These actions follow the ICC’s November 2024 arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza warrants Israel rejects, arguing it is not a signatory to the treaty that created the court.
Key Facts
- Netanyahu says Rubio reaffirmed US intent to act forcefully against the ICC during a Sunday phone call.
- The two nations dispute the court’s jurisdiction; the US is not an ICC member state.
- Washington has already sanctioned several ICC judges and prosecutors over cases targeting Israel.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have been the subject of ICC arrest warrants since November 2024, issued over accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the Gaza war.
- Netanyahu’s ICC meeting with Trump was set to also cover Iran and West Bank operations.
- Rubio Vows
FAQs:
Q: What did Netanyahu say Rubio told him?
Netanyahu said Rubio Vows reaffirmed the US intention to act forcefully against the ICC, calling it a threat to sovereign states’ security decisions.
Q: Why does the US oppose the ICC?
Washington has said the court’s pursuit of Israeli and, in some cases, American officials amounts to illegitimate overreach beyond its jurisdiction.
Q: What is the ICC’s role?
The International Criminal Court prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide; it was created by the Rome Statute, which neither Israel nor the US has joined.
Q: Has the US taken action against the ICC before?
Yes Washington has sanctioned multiple ICC judges and prosecutors connected to cases against Israeli and American officials.
Q: Why did the ICC issue a warrant for Netanyahu?
In November 2024, ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war.
Netanyahu ICC Dispute Reflects Broader Diplomatic Rift
The Netanyahu- Rubio Vows alignment on the ICC reflects a deepening rift between the court and both the US and Israeli governments, neither of which recognizes its jurisdiction over their nationals.
The ICC has said it will continue operating under its legal mandate regardless of external pressure.
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant Over Gaza War
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