Russia says US is being hypocritical about ICC and Israel

Russia said on Tuesday that the United States was being hypocritical by opposing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into Israel but supporting the court’s warrant for President Vladimir Putin’s arrest.

The ICC – which can charge individuals with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – is investigating Hamas’ October 7 cross-border attack and Israel’s devastating military assault on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, now in its seventh month.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that the United States does not support the ICC’s investigation into Israel and does not believe the court has jurisdiction.

US President Joe Biden said last year that the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin was justified. The United States has shared details of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine with the ICC.

Russia says the warrant against Putin is a senseless attempt by the West to tarnish Russia’s reputation and denies war crimes in Ukraine. Ukraine says Russia committed war crimes. Russia claims the West ignored Ukraine’s crimes, an accusation denied by Kiev.

“Washington fully supported, if not encouraged, the issuance of ICC warrants against the Russian leadership,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a Telegram post.

But “the American political system does not recognize the legitimacy of this structure in relation to itself and its satellites,” Zakharova said, adding that such a position was intellectually “absurd.”

The Kremlin considered the issuance of the warrant against Putin outrageous and legally void, as Russia is not a signatory to the treaty that created the ICC.

Israel is not a member of the ICC, while the Palestinian territories were admitted as a member state in 2015.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that any decision by the ICC would not affect Israel’s actions but would set a dangerous precedent.