Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman broke ranks with his party Tuesday, becoming the lone Democrat to support Republican-led efforts to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the tribunal’s controversial move to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, introduced by Senate Republicans, sought to mandate sanctions on ICC officials if they pursued legal action against U.S. citizens or citizens of U.S. allies that do not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, such as Israel.
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The bill, however, failed to advance in the Senate, as all other Senate Democrats opposed the measure.
Following the vote, Fetterman took to X to voice his disappointment, writing, “I am deeply disappointed that this bill did not pass. My vote follows Israel—not the ICC that equivocated the democratically elected leader of our special ally to the terrorists and rapists of Hamas.”
Fetterman’s comments reflect growing frustration within pro-Israel factions of the Democratic Party, particularly as the previous Biden administration had faced scrutiny for its handling of U.S.-Israel relations amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The bill’s sponsors, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), strongly condemned the ICC’s actions, calling them illegitimate and politically motivated.
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“The ICC’s illegitimate targeting of a key U.S. ally should concern all of us,” Thune said during a floor speech Tuesday. “This is an attack on Israel, a democracy defending itself against a terrorist regime.”
During the Trump administration, sanctions were placed on ICC officials in 2020 after the court sought to investigate alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan. However, President Joe Biden revoked those sanctions in 2021, signaling a shift in U.S. policy toward the international court.
Despite Fetterman’s support for the measure, his fellow Democrats overwhelmingly voted against the sanctions.
The ICC’s actions have drawn sharp criticism from U.S. lawmakers, with many calling the move antisemitic and an unjustified attack on Israel’s right to self-defense.
The tribunal alleges Netanyahu committed “crimes against humanity” in his handling of the war against Hamas, an organization designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. government.
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