Trump Allies Visit Israel Amid ICC Probe

Former National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and other Trump allies visited Israel this week to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Former National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and two other former Trump administration officials traveled to Israel this week to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, as an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor announced he is seeking warrants for the arrest of both Netanyahu and Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

O'Brien, who was accompanied by John Rakolta, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and Ed McMullen, a former U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, said his goal on the trip was "really to show support for Israel." However, he also noted that he is a former Trump official who is in regular contact with the president and strongly supports him.

The trip came as an ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced that he is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, alleging that they "bear criminal responsibility for...war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine." Khan said the alleged crimes include "starvation of civilians as a method of warfare" and "intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population."

O'Brien and the other Trump allies also met with Gallant this week, according to O'Brien.

President Biden slammed the ICC request as "outrageous" on Monday, saying that there is "no equivalence" between Israel and Hamas. "We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security," Biden said.

The ICC prosecutor is also seeking arrest warrants for Hamas' leader, Yahya Sinwar, its top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and its military commander, Mohammed Dief.

Israel has rejected the ICC's jurisdiction, arguing that it is not a member state and that the court is biased against Israel.

The ICC investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Gaza covers a period from 2014 to 2015, during which time Israel launched a military operation in Gaza in response to rocket attacks by Hamas and other militant groups.

The ICC is an international court that investigates and prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. It was established in 2002 and is based in The Hague, Netherlands.