Mike Johnson Slams Intl Court for Targeting Netanyahu

House Speaker Mike Johnson said potential arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials would be a "lawless action."

The Israeli government is working under the assumption the ICC's prosecutor, Karim Khan, might this week issue warrants for the arrest of Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, the Times of Israel reported Sunday, focusing on allegations that Israel has been deliberately starving Gazans in its military campaign to destroy Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists.

"It is disgraceful that the International Criminal Court is reportedly planning to issue baseless and illegitimate arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials," Johnson said in a news release obtained by Newsmax. "Such a lawless action by the ICC would directly undermine U.S. national security interests.

"If unchallenged by the Biden administration, the ICC could create and assume unprecedented power to issue arrest warrants against American political leaders, American diplomats, and American military personnel, thereby endangering our country's sovereign authority."

Johnson said the ICC should focus its attention on more worthwhile pursuits.

"Instead of wrongly targeting Israel, the ICC should pursue charges against Iran and its terror proxies, including Hamas, for engaging in horrific war crimes," he said. "The Biden administration must immediately and unequivocally demand that the ICC stand down and the U.S. should use every available tool to prevent such an abomination."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Monday's briefing the Biden administration doesn't support the ICC's investigation against the Israeli officials.

"We've been really clear about the ICC investigation; we do not support it," she said. "We don't believe that they have the jurisdiction. I'm just going to leave it there for now."

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