Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asked President Joe Biden to maintain sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on the International Criminal Court.
In their first phone conversation since Biden took office, Netanyahu made the request as an attempt to stop a potential war crimes investigation into Israel, per Axios on Wednesday.
The Trump administration imposed sanctions last September against ICC officials, including prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, after the court elected to pursue an investigation into the war in Afghanistan, which could implicate U.S. troops and the CIA.
Israeli officials were concerned that removing the sanctions would cause the court’s prosecutor to see it as a sign the U.S. wasn’t opposed to the war crimes investigation. They also worried an investigation could lead to international arrest warrants against Israeli officials and military officers, and could boost BDS campaigns against Israel.
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{Matzav.com}
