WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), rating member of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and John Thune (R-S.D.) at this time issued the next assertion in response to the Worldwide Legal Court docket (ICC) saying the choice to use for arrest warrants for democratically-elected Israeli officers:

“These actions by the ICC jeopardize efforts to result in sustainable peace within the Center East.  It places in danger delicate negotiations to convey house hostages, together with Individuals, and surge humanitarian help.

“The applying for arrest warrants additionally attracts a false equivalence between Israel with its longstanding dedication to the rule of legislation, and Hamas’ theocratic, autocratic, and unaccountable rule over Gaza. To state the apparent: Israel is a functioning democracy, whereas Hamas is a terrorist group.

“Representatives of the ICC had been imagined to be in Israel at this time to arrange conferences between Israeli officers and ICC Prosecutor Khan’s group subsequent week to debate allegations and considerations. This was a course of we inspired, as it’s according to the precept of complementarity.

“The ICC’s precipitous motion in making use of for arrest warrants on this occasion runs opposite to the promotion of rule of legislation globally; Israel has a protracted historical past as a functioning democracy, with an impartial judiciary and army justice system. We’ve got nice confidence within the Israeli judicial system’s means to manage justice. The precept of complementarity must be honored, permitting a nation’s authorized system to behave first.

 “Performing at this time with out participating the Israeli authorities on these particular considerations calls into query the unbiased strategy ICC investigations are imagined to have.

“We’ll proceed to work in a bipartisan method to strenuously object to the ICC’s actions in opposition to our ally, Israel, and take applicable steps to assist Israel and defend American personnel from future ICC motion.”

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