[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S760-S761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



     Prime Minister Netanyahu and the International Criminal Court

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, earlier this morning, I met with Prime 
Minister Netanyahu here in the Capitol.

[[Page S761]]

  We had a good discussion about Israel's security and about the 
imperative of the return of the rest of the hostages, who have been 
held in Hamas captivity for well over a year. I enjoyed a candid, 
personal discussion with the Prime Minister and was pleased that both 
Republican and Democrat colleagues were later able to join for a 
bipartisan conversation.
  After a number of my Democrat colleagues boycotted Prime Minister 
Netanyahu's address to Congress last year, it is good that Democrat 
leaders chose to attend this meeting. It would have been even better if 
Democrats had chosen to support the Illegitimate Court Counteraction 
Act, and we had been able to tell Prime Minister Netanyahu that the 
Senate had passed this legislation in response to the International 
Criminal Court's illegitimate targeting of Israeli leaders.
  But, unfortunately, 2 weeks ago now, all of my Democrat colleagues--
all of them save one--voted to block this legislation. The Democrat 
leader actually celebrated the fact that Democrats had blocked this 
legislation, even though allowing the ICC's rogue action to go 
unchecked could put not only Israelis but Americans in the ICC's 
crosshairs. That is right. Responding to the ICC's illegitimate 
targeting of Israeli leaders is not just about protecting our ally 
Israel; it is also about protecting our own citizens, our own 
servicemembers in particular.
  Just a few years ago, the ICC opened an investigation into American 
servicemembers, despite the fact that, like Israel, the United States 
is not a party to the ICC and, thus, is not under its jurisdiction. It 
was good to hear this morning that President Trump will impose 
sanctions in response to the ICC's targeting of Israeli leaders and to 
protect American servicemembers.
  I am grateful that we have a President who will stand up for our 
citizens and for our ally Israel, as he has made clear already, 
including with his decision to prohibit funding for the United Nations 
Relief and Works Agency. This agency not only has a history of anti-
Israel sentiment but has a number of workers with ties to terrorist 
groups and actually, if you can believe this, had workers participate 
in the October 7, 2023, attack.
  I was also pleased by President Trump's decision to withdraw the 
United States from the so-called Human Rights Council at the United 
Nations, which unfairly targets Israel.
  And I am grateful that President Trump is taking a strong stand 
against one of the greatest enemies of peace in the Middle East--Iran. 
Iran has spent decades fomenting unrest and terror, including providing 
funding and training to Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis; and the 
President's recent national security memorandum was a welcomed 
statement that Iranian aggression will no longer be tolerated.
  The President has restored the maximum economic pressure campaign to 
bankrupt Iran's nuclear ambitions and its terrorist proxies. It is good 
to see this kind of leadership.
  I want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for meeting with us and 
assure him of the United States' continued support for Israel, and I 
look forward to working with President Trump to defend our allies and 
to protect our Nation.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.