Trump will sign decrees that point to the International Criminal Court and “Anti -Christian Discrimination”

CNN
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President Donald Trump signed a couple of decrees this Thursday, one directed against the International Criminal Court (ICC) and another about “discrimination against Christians.”

The measure against the CPI imposes financial sanctions and visa restrictions on “individuals and their relatives who help in the CPI investigations on US citizens or our allies”, according to a document obtained by CNN. This effort seeks to punish the agency for issuing arrest orders against senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

The Chamber approved a bill sanctioning the ICC last month, but Senate Democrats blocked their approval.

The Decrees of the ICC, which were convicted at the time by the then president Joe Biden, sought the arrest of Netanyahu and Gallant for charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the military actions of Israel in Gaza after the attack of Hamas On October 7, 2023. Simultaneously, the ICC sought the arrest of Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, who was subsequently killed.

The CPI approach in Netanyahu also caused rejection reactions by Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Last month, the House of Representatives, controlled by the Republican Party, approved a bill sanctioning the ICC, but the Senate Democrats blocked their approval.

Critics say that orders imply an equivalence between the leader of an important US ally and the leader of a terrorist organization. Although neither the United States nor Israel are part of the ICC, the decrees make travel to any of the 124 signatory countries that would be obliged to arrest Israeli leaders.

Prime Minister’s office dismissed decrees as “absurd and anti -Semitic.”

Netanyahu, who is in Washington this week, became the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House on Tuesday, when he appeared by his side during a joint press conference when the president announced that the United States will “take control” of Gaza. Although both leaders have had a complicated relationship, Trump’s most recent comments reinforce the impression that the Israeli leader would enjoy a much broader margin by the US government to pursue its objectives with Trump in office.

Thursday’s measure is not the first time Trump sanctions the ICC. During his first term, he authorized visa sanctions and restrictions against the CPI personnel after the court opened an investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan by US and Afghan forces, as well as alleged war crimes and crimes against the humanity committed by the Taliban.

Trump’s other decree on Thursday, against the “anti-Christian bias”, was announced earlier in the day.

“Today, I am signing a decree to make our attorney general-who is a great person, is going to be a great attorney general, Pam Bondi-is the head of a completely new working group to eradicate the anti-Christian bias,” Trump said in an event linked to the national prayer breakfast.

This news was updated with additional information