Hill Country Chronicle

On Monday, Representative Chip Roy of Texas, alongside House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast from Florida, announced the reintroduction of a bill aimed at protecting Israeli officials from actions by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The legislation, known as the "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act" (H.R. 23), was introduced on Friday and is part of the 119th House rules package.

The proposed law seeks to impose sanctions on ICC officials who target U.S. citizens or allies such as Israel. Previously, this legislation had passed in the House with bipartisan support, including backing from 42 Democrats.

Rep. Roy criticized the ICC as an illegitimate body that threatens U.S. sovereignty and accused it of engaging in a "shameful lawfare campaign" against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu following attacks by Hamas on October 7th. He emphasized that the bill aims to protect both national sovereignty and American servicemembers from potential political attacks by the court.

Chairman Mast expressed that their bill sends a strong message to the ICC about targeting America or its allies. He argued that the ICC's actions have hindered Israel's right to self-defense and affected efforts to release American hostages.

Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas will spearhead similar efforts in the Senate. He warned of a direct threat posed by the ICC to American and allied sovereignty if not met with decisive action.

The bill has garnered support from several organizations, including Christians United for Israel (CUFI), American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), and Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Action.