According to reports, Actor George Clooney is not very happy with President Joe Biden after his comments about the International Criminal Court.
Several reports claim that the Hollywood actor expressed strong concerns over President Biden’s critique of the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a case involving Clooney’s wife, Amal Clooney, a prominent human rights lawyer. This concern was conveyed directly to Steve Ricchetti, a top aide to President Biden.
The Washington Post reported that Clooney called Ricchetti to object to the Biden administration’s stance, especially its initial openness to sanctioning the ICC, which could potentially affect Amal Clooney due to her involvement in the case. This news surfaces as Clooney prepares to participate in a fundraiser for Biden’s re-election campaign in Los Angeles on June 15.
The controversy centers around ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s announcement on May 20, seeking to charge Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and two other top Hamas leaders with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Khan’s decision was made in consultation with top legal experts, including Amal Clooney. In response, President Biden condemned the ICC’s actions as “outrageous,” emphasizing unwavering U.S. support for Israel.
President Biden’s comments reflect a broader political stance in the U.S., where 42 House Democrats recently joined Republicans in supporting a bill to sanction the ICC. Senate Republicans are urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote.
Khan has warned that interfering with the ICC’s work could be considered an offense under the Rome Statute, the court’s founding treaty. However, this warning holds limited sway since major world powers, including the U.S., Israel, China, and Russia, do not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. Israeli leaders vehemently deny the allegations, asserting their actions are in defense of the nation and in accordance with international law.
The ICC’s decision-making process regarding the issuance of arrest warrants is expected to take several weeks. Historically, the threshold for approving such requests has been relatively low, with judges requiring “reasonable grounds to believe” that the alleged crimes occurred.
This issue has broader implications. President Biden has tapped Clooney to help him fundraise. As recently as May 12, 2024, it was reported that Biden will hold a huge LA fundraiser with Hollywood superstars like George Clooney and Julia Roberts in mid-June.
Biden’s going to need it because the Trump campaign just announced they brought in a haul in the month of May.
