STATEMENT: Auchincloss votes no on H.R. 8282 - Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act of 2023
I condemn the ICC’s seeking of arrest warrants for Israeli leadership. Today I voted against H.R. 8282, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, an overly broad and inappropriate response to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s request for warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant. As I have previously said, the ICC’s implication of moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas bankrupts the credibility of any other finding in its investigation. Israel is an ally and fellow democracy fighting for its security and for the release of the hostages, including eight Americans. Hamas is evil and must be defeated.
This bill, however, would not advance these aims. It would impede U.S. efforts to hold Russia to account for its brutal war against Ukraine, and could expose U.S. allies to potential sanctions, undermining multilateral efforts to fight back against the axis of Russia, China, and Islamist extremists like Iran and Hamas.
I urge the Biden Administration to continue its efforts to return the hostages home and defeat Hamas. I will continue to support Israel and its right to self-defense through my vote and voice in Washington and in international institutions.