Bidens White House Rejects Calls to Sanction ICC

The Biden administration has rejected calls for sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it requested arrest warrants for Israeli officials, citing alleged war crimes in Gaza. This move has sparked significant controversy.

🗣 John Kirby: "We don't believe that sanctions against the ICC is the right approach here." Kirby emphasized that the Biden administration does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction over Israel and does not support the arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant.

🔴 Lawmakers Push for Sanctions: Despite the White House stance, a bipartisan group of Senators, including Joe Manchin and Mike Rounds, proposed visa bans and sanctions on ICC officials. Representatives Chip Roy and Brian Mast introduced measures in the House to force the President to implement sanctions if the ICC targets U.S. allies like Israel.

📝 Political Maneuvering: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries highlighted ongoing bipartisan discussions on how to address the ICC's actions. The proposed Senate provision aims to formally reject the ICC's actions against Israeli officials.

🚨 Implications: With the White House ruling out sanctions, the future of U.S. policy towards the ICC remains uncertain. This decision could impact international views on the U.S.'s stance on accountability and justice in conflict zones.

[K.P.]

How much time? How many children martyred? How many houses destroyed?

They didn’t answer Ramdans question. That every gazan child asks.

[JU]

GAME OVER: 130 Top Economists Warn of “Israel's” Imminent FULL COLLAPSE

In a dire warning, 130 of Israel’s leading economists have sounded the alarm over government policies they say are pushing Israel towards disaster. The economists highlighted several critical issues:

🔴 Economic and Military Burden: The policies impose an unsustainable economic and military burden on a shrinking part of the population. They stress that increasing military reserve duties and continued funding for haredi education, which does not include core studies, are particularly problematic.

🔴 Risk of Mass Emigration: If these trends continue, highly educated and skilled citizens, who bear the economic and security burdens, may emigrate. This would leave behind a less productive population, worsening the situation in a vicious cycle.

🗣 Prof. Eitan Sheshinski and Others: Prominent figures like Prof. Eitan Sheshinski and Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg are among the signatories urging immediate reforms. They call for changes to the haredi education system, ending incentives for non-work, and reducing disparities in the security burden.

💬 "Genuine Alarm": The letter describes the situation as a "genuine alarm," warning that if those bearing the burden perceive an irreversible decline, national collapse will follow.

📉 A Vicious Cycle: The process would particularly harm the haredi sector, which relies heavily on public funding. The collapse would exacerbate disparities and lead to a downward spiral.

🌍 “Israel has No Future”: The economists demand urgent action to save Israel from future collapse, emphasizing that history will not forgive inaction.

Source: Hebrew Business News 🗞️

[K.P.]

🔻Hebrew sources:

Strong explosion Nahariya area, without warning  

[NP]

🔺Israeli forces kidnap journalist Bilal Taweel from his house in occupied Hebron in the West Bank.

[NP]