US will not comply with potential ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu, says UN ambassador

New York (Quds News Network)- The United States will not comply with any potential arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Speaking at an event on the future of multilateralism and UN reform hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, Thomas-Greenfield made it clear that Washington has ‘reservations’ regarding the ICC’s jurisdiction over Israel and will not take action against Netanyahu.

“I think you know the answer to whether we will arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu… Let me be clear: we will not arrest him,” Thomas-Greenfield stated. Her comments underscore the US administration’s unlimited support for the occupation state.

In the same discussion, Thomas-Greenfield touched on the US’s veto power in the UN Security Council, affirming that the US has no intention of relinquishing this crucial tool. “We don’t want to give up our veto power, and we do think if we expand that veto power across the board, it will make the Council more dysfunctional,” she remarked.

She also claimed that there is bias against Israel in the United Nations, saying, “There is an inordinate over-focus on Israel – even before Gaza – in the UN. It’s something that we have raised regularly.” According to Thomas-Greenfield, Israel is the only country with a recurring monthly item on the Security Council’s agenda, a situation she labeled as “unfair” and “problematic”, ignoring the fact that this focus stems from Israel’s creation through the displacement of Palestinian people in 1948 and its ongoing conflict, which has resulted in numerous Palestinian casualties.

Responding to questions about the increasing number of countries recognizing Palestinian statehood and the potential implications for US policy, Thomas-Greenfield reiterated the US stance that Palestine, as it currently exist, do not meet the requirements for statehood. “A state has certain responsibilities for its people, and I do not believe the Palestinians, as they exist right now, have all of the elements to give it statehood,” she explained.

Thomas-Greenfield also responded to a question about the US Congress potentially withholding aid to the Palestinian Authority if it continues to seek statehood or support the ICC’s investigation. While noting that Congress holds the authority to make such decisions, she expressed hope that the US would not be forced into a position where critical aid to Palestinians would be cut off.