VIDEO: Ricketts on the Senate Floor: “The ICC Needs to Face the Consequences”
May 23, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) spoke on the Senate floor, calling for Joe Biden to take action against the International Criminal Court (ICC) for emboldening terrorists and promoting antisemitism. The ICC requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week. Ricketts recently sent a letter with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) outlining actions the United States should take if the ICC moved forward.
“We’re here today to tell President Biden one simple thing: if your commitment to Israel is really ironclad, as you say, you’ll join us in holding these antisemitic organizations accountable,” Ricketts said. “Let’s sanction the ICC employees and associates and prevent them from coming to the United States. Let’s work with our allies to ensure that they refuse to honor the ICC indictments against either Israel or the United States. Let’s truly demonstrate our ironclad support and stand with our ally Israel, in its hour of need.”
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “I rise today to join my colleagues in expressing my complete support for the State of Israel in the war against the Hamas terrorists.
“There was a cease fire in place prior to October 7th. Hamas broke that cease fire. Hamas attacked Israel and murdered over 1,200 Israelis and Americans.
“They also took hundreds of hostages, including Americansas well. Hamas is responsible for every death on October 7th and every death since that day.
“They need to surrender. Hamas must surrender. If Hamas surrenders and releases the hostages, aid can freely flow into Gaza to support the Gazans.
“Instead, Hamas continues to prosecute this war. In fact, after October 7th, said they would continue to do atrocitieslike October 7th if given the chance. They will continue to try to destroy Israel. They will continue to murder Israeli citizens.
“They just don’t chant death to Israel. They chant death to America, as well.
“Terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah represent an existential threat to Israel. They have repeatedly declared their intention to wipe Israel off the map.
“Israel has the right and the obligation to destroy the terrorist group Hamas. They must have the ability to defend themselves, and they will be doing the world a favor by destroying Hamas.
“We need to support Israel and their efforts to do just that. Part of that support means pushing back on antisemitic organizations like the United Nations or the International Criminal Court, that attack Israel’s legitimacy and their sovereignty.
“The International Criminal Courts ludicrous decision to apply for arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Chief are the most recent example of their antisemitism.
“This outrageous decision not only emboldens terrorists around the world, but creates problems for us here in the United States as well.
“In the statement, the ICC prosecutor describes crimes that have been committed on the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine. That’s exactly backwards. He should have said the State of Israel and the territories of Palestine, but that was intentional.
“It is a continuation of the rampant antisemitism in these organizations like the ICC and the U.N..
“It is designed to de-legitimize the state of Israel, and the crazy thing is, the ICC’s action in itself is illegitimate. It lacks legal basis.
“Under its own charter, the ICC is banned from moving forward with prosecutions unless the relevant government is unwilling or unable to police themselves.
“The ICC knows Israel has a robust and independent judiciary.
“The ICC knows and has admitted that Israel has trained lawyers who advise commanders, and a robust system intended to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law.
“By moving forward with these arrest warrants, the ICC is calling Israel’s laws, governments and democracy illegitimate. It’s wrong.
“There is no moral equivalency between the state of Israel, a democracy, and the terrorist organization Hamas.
“There is no moral equivalency between Hamas’s terrorist actions and atrocities on October 7th, and Israel’s right to defend themselves to take action to destroy that terrorist organization.
“Hamas terrorists have shot unarmed civilians, dismembered soldiers, raped women and massacred children.
“Meanwhile, Israel has fought its war while taking great pains to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties.
“We need to be supporting Israel and its mission, not undermining the Israeli government.
“It’s in our interest to do so.
“Neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC, both countries are outside of the ICC jurisdiction. Yet, the ICC is going after Israel anyway.
“America should take note. If the ICC can violate Israel’s sovereignty, it can violate America’s sovereignty.
“The ICC needs to face the consequences of its anti-Israel policies.
“While it’s good that President Biden has condemned the arrest warrants as outrageous, Israel needs more than words. It needs actions.
“Last month, my Republican colleagues and I sent a letter to the ICC with a warning. If the ICC move forward with arrest warrants for Israelis, we would push to end all American support for this disgraceful organization.
“We’re here today to tell President Biden one simple thing, if your commitment to Israel is really ironclad, as you say, you’ll join us in holding these antisemitic organizations accountable.
“Let’s sanction the ICC employees and associates and prevent them from coming to the United States.
“Let’s work with our allies to ensure that they refuse to honor the ICC indictments against either Israel or the United States. Let’s truly demonstrate our ironclad support and stand with our ally Israel, in its hour of need.
“Thank you, Madam President.”