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Floor Speech

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Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to talk about the ICC bill and the vote we are going to have immediately following the lunch hour.

When the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister for defending their country against an unprovoked brutal attack on their homeland, the ICC was exceeding its mandate. There is no question about that in my mind. Further, there is no question in my mind that it is a clear demonstration of the Court's inability to focus on justice and determine what is justice and determine what is right and what is wrong.

The ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israel. This clearly political move erased the last illusions of legitimacy for the organization and is just another example of partisanship and anti- Semitism infecting our international organizations like the United Nations, the ICJ, and, of course, the ICC. This needs to end.

The United States needs to stand in solidarity with our ally Israel, not only by providing them with the assistance they need for their self-defense but by sanctioning the ICC to compel the organization to change its corrupt behavior in countering this blatant anti-Semitism wherever it appears.

I look forward to working with the Trump administration and Secretary of State Rubio, whom I believe will be excellent partners in rooting out the corruption in our international organizations. And I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill to support our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.

This is a unique opportunity to vote, and a vote on this will very clearly state whether you stand on the side of Israel or you stand on the side of the United States, and that we will not cede jurisdiction over our citizens to such a corrupt and blatantly inequitable institution as the ICC.
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