Democrat Jared Moskowitz faces backlash for saying ICC is as irrelevant as 'Harry Potter school of magic'
WASHINGTON, DC: Controversy erupted when Representative Jared Moskowitz delivered a scathing rebuke of the International Criminal Court (ICC) during a Sunday, May 26, interview on Fox News.
Moskowitz's remarks came in response to the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials over alleged war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, as reported by POLITICO.
Jared Moskowitz delivers scathing rebuke of International Criminal Court
Addressing host Shannon Bream, Moskowitz dismissed the ICC as "totally political" and "irrelevant," likening it to the "Harry Potter School of Magic." He remarked, "They have no jurisdiction. We might as well call them the 'Harry Potter School of Magic.'"
The fiery congressman criticized the ICC for targeting Israel while not pursuing similar actions against countries like China and Syria, despite widespread allegations of human rights abuses in those nations.
Moskowitz further argued that since Israel is not a party to the ICC's treaty, the court has no legitimate authority to pursue charges against its officials. He explained, "They're irrelevant because Israel is not a party to their treaty. So this is pressure unfortunately from the international community that wants to see no more Israel."
The ICC's decision to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas officials drew sharp reactions. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan emphasized the seriousness of the allegations and noted, "I remain deeply concerned about ongoing allegations and emerging evidence of international crimes occurring in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank."
This move has sparked a bipartisan effort in the US Congress to counter the ICC's actions. President Joe Biden labeled the ICC's move as "outrageous," while some progressive Democrats have objected to the demonization of the court.
Neither the United States nor Israel recognizes the ICC's authority, limiting the court's ability to prosecute alleged crimes by citizens of these nations.
Moskowitz concluded by calling for a strong bipartisan response from the US. "I think the United States needs to respond in a strong bipartisan way, which is why you’re seeing Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate and the Biden administration coming together," he stated on Sunday.
Jared Moskowitz's rebuke of International Criminal Court draws flak online
Moskowitz's rebuke of the ICC ignited a firestorm on social media, with many users condemning his stance.
One user on Facebook remarked, "Can’t imagine the ICC being as irrelevant as a random congressman from Florida who no one has ever heard of, but apparently is very invested in a foreign head of state’s self-made predicament with a supposedly 'irrelevant' institution."
Another user highlighted perceived hypocrisy, stating, "Well, if it were China killing people then the US government would definitely be supporting any ICC warrants. But since it's Netanyahu then all of a sudden the ICC is irrelevant."
A third user wrote, "This is what imperialism sounds like," while another pointed out, "It wasn’t irrelevant when they wanted to use it against Russia." "Seem to be a lot of yelling about something so irrelevant. Sounds like even they don't truly believe it's irrelevant," one user observed.
"Primary this fool," one user urged. Another suggested, "People are scared they will get arrest warrants because they signed off on weapons to war criminals." A particularly harsh critique labeled Moskowitz as "another AIPAC rented mouth."
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
