00:00 (Applause.)
00:02 Let me be clear, we reject the ICC's application
00:06 for arrest warrants against Israeli immigrants.
00:09 (Applause.)
00:11 Whatever these warrants may imply,
00:13 there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
00:15 (Applause.)
00:19 And it's clear Israel wants to do all it can
00:22 to ensure civilian protection.
00:24 But let me be clear, contrary to allegations against Israel
00:27 made by the International Court of Justice,
00:29 what's happening is not genocide.
00:31 We reject that.
00:32 (Applause.)
00:34 We will always stand with Israel
00:37 and the threats against its security.
00:39 At an event marking Jewish American Heritage Month,
00:43 President Joe Biden criticized the International Criminal Court,
00:47 which is also called ICC,
00:49 for seeking arrest warrants for Israeli leaders,
00:52 including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
00:56 over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
00:59 Biden reiterated that his administration
01:02 stands with Israel in its efforts to combat Hamas,
01:06 stressing, "We want Hamas defeated,
01:10 and we are working with Israel to make that happen."
01:13 He emphasized that his administration
01:16 will always ensure Israel has the necessary resources
01:20 to defend itself against Hamas and other enemies.
01:24 Biden dismissed the ICC's allegations against Israel
01:27 as "unfounded," stating, "What's happening is not genocide."
01:32 He called the effort to arrest Netanyahu
01:35 and Defense Minister Yoav Galland as "outrageous"
01:39 and underscored that there is no equivalence
01:42 between Israel and Hamas.
01:44 Earlier, Secretary of State Antony Blinken
01:47 also condemned the ICC's move as "shameful,"
01:51 warning that it could jeopardize ongoing negotiations
01:54 on humanitarian aid and hostage releases in Gaza.
01:59 Here is the official statement from Matthew Miller,
02:02 spokesperson for the U.S. State Department.
02:06 - As the Secretary said in a statement a short time ago,
02:08 the United States fundamentally rejects the announcement today
02:12 from the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
02:14 that he is applying for arrest warrants
02:15 for senior Israeli officials,
02:17 together with warrants for Hamas terrorists.
02:20 There should be no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
02:23 None.
02:24 Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization
02:26 that carried out the worst massacre of Jews
02:28 since the Holocaust
02:29 and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage,
02:32 including Americans.
02:34 Furthermore, the United States has been clear
02:36 since well before the current conflict
02:37 that the ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter.
02:41 The ICC was established by its state parties
02:43 as a court of limited jurisdiction.
02:46 These limits are rooted in principles of complementarity,
02:49 which do not appear to have been applied here,
02:51 amid the prosecutor's rush to seek these arrest warrants,
02:54 rather than allowing the Israeli legal system
02:56 a full and timely opportunity to proceed.
02:59 In other situations,
03:00 the prosecutor deferred to national investigations
03:03 and worked with states to allow them time to investigate.
03:06 The prosecutor did not afford the same opportunity
03:08 to Israel in this case,
03:09 which has ongoing investigations into allegations
03:12 against its personnel.
03:14 There are also deeply troubling process questions.
03:17 Despite not being a member of the court,
03:19 Israel was prepared to cooperate with the prosecutor
03:21 and had made that clear.
03:23 In fact, the prosecutor himself was scheduled
03:25 to visit Israel as early as next week
03:27 to discuss the investigation
03:28 and hear from the Israeli government.
03:30 The prosecutor's staff was supposed to land in Israel today
03:33 to coordinate the visit,
03:34 and instead, Israel was informed
03:36 that the prosecutor's staff didn't get on their flight
03:38 around the same time that the prosecutor himself
03:40 went on television to announce these charges.
03:42 These circumstances call into question
03:44 the legitimacy and credibility of this investigation.
03:48 Finally, this decision does nothing to help
03:50 and could jeopardize ongoing efforts
03:52 to reach a ceasefire agreement
03:54 that would get hostages out of Gaza
03:56 and surge humanitarian assistance in.
03:58 Those are the goals that the United States is pursuing
04:00 and will continue to pursue
04:02 despite these actions by the ICC prosecutor.
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04:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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