Former President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Thursday—one sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) and another addressing “anti-Christian bias.”
The ICC sanctions target individuals involved in investigations of U.S. citizens and allies, following its controversial arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes allegations in Gaza.
The move mirrors Trump’s 2020 sanctions against the ICC for probing U.S. actions in Afghanistan.
The ICC warrants, which were condemned at the time by then-President Joe Biden, sought the arrests of Netanyahu and Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for Israel’s military actions in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. The ICC simultaneously sought the arrests of top Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, who was later killed.
The ICC’s targeting of Netanyahu also sparked backlash from Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Last month, the GOP-controlled House passed a bill sanctioning the ICC, but Senate Democrats blocked its passage.
Critics say the warrants imply equivalency between the leader of a top US ally and the leader of a terrorist organization. While neither the US nor Israel are party to the ICC, the warrants make travel difficult to any of the 124 signatory countries that would be compelled to arrest the Israeli leaders.
The prime minister’s office has dismissed the warrants as “absurd and antisemitic.”
Netanyahu, who is in Washington, DC, this week, became the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House on Tuesday, appearing at his side during a joint news conference when the president announced that the US will “take over” the Gaza Strip. While the two leaders have had a complicated relationship, Trump’s most recent comments have reinforced an impression the Israeli leader would enjoy a far wider remit from the American government to prosecute his goals with Trump in office.
Thursday’s move is not the first time Trump has sanctioned the ICC. During his first term, he authorized sanctions and visa restrictions against ICC personnel after the court opened a probe into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan by US and Afghan forces, as well as alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Taliban.
Trump also launched a task force, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, to combat anti-Christian discrimination.
“Today, I’m signing an executive order to make our attorney general — who’s a great person, she’s going to be a great attorney general, Pam Bondi — the head of a task force brand new to eradicate anti-Christian bias,” Trump said at an event tied to the National Prayer Breakfast.
