Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate floor regarding upcoming legislation on sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). Thune's remarks focused on the ICC's recent issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, which he described as "extraordinary and illegitimate."

Thune criticized the ICC's decision, stating that it lacked jurisdiction over Israel or its citizens since neither Israel nor the United States is a party to the treaty establishing the court. He argued that "the court has zero authority over Israel or its leaders." Thune also condemned what he perceived as a moral equivalence drawn by the ICC between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing that "Israel wages war against terrorists; Hamas wages war against innocents."

In response to these developments, Thune announced his intention to bring forward legislation aimed at sanctioning foreign individuals involved in ICC efforts targeting U.S. citizens or allies not party to the ICC. This bill had previously passed in the House with bipartisan support.

Thune urged for bipartisan backing in the Senate, stressing that "this illegitimate targeting of a key U.S. ally should concern all of us." He also warned about potential future actions by the ICC against American soldiers, referencing past incidents in 2020.

He expressed gratitude towards Senator Cotton and Senator Risch for their contributions to this legislative effort and called upon his Democratic colleagues to support moving this bill forward.