ICC’s Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu: A Damning Verdict on U.S. Policy and Involvement

The news is out: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who not long ago was celebrated with over 50 standing ovations in the U.S. Congress, has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war-related offenses. This development is a stark reminder of the U.S. government’s role and partnership in Netanyahu’s aggressive actions throughout the Middle East.

For three decades, the powerful Israel Lobby has successfully persuaded the U.S. to engage in military conflicts that serve Israeli interests, aimed at hindering the establishment of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu, who first assumed office in 1996 and has served as prime minister for a total of 17 years, has actively promoted U.S.-endorsed conflicts in the region. The consequences have been dire for both the U.S. and the broader Middle East, plunging the area into a violent turmoil that has especially devastated the Palestinian people.

These conflicts were not initiated to protect Israel, but to overthrow regimes that resisted Israel’s subjugation of the Palestinians. Israel staunchly opposes the internationally supported two-state solution endorsed by international law, the Arab Peace Initiative, the G20, the BRICS, the OIC, and the UN General Assembly. Israel’s refusal to compromise and its harsh treatment of Palestinians have spurred various militant groups to resist since the occupation began, supported by several regional nations.

The clear path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and disarming the militant groups as part of this process.

Under Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel’s approach has been to destabilize and overthrow foreign governments opposing Israeli hegemony, effectively redrawing the map of the “New Middle East” to exclude a Palestinian state. Instead of seeking peace, Netanyahu’s strategy has revolved around perpetual warfare.

What is particularly alarming is that Washington has handed over control of the U.S. military and budget to Netanyahu to support his catastrophic military campaigns. This takeover of U.S. policy by the Israel Lobby is detailed in Ilan Pappé’s recent book, Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic (2024).

Instead of seeking peace, Netanyahu engages in endless warfare.

Netanyahu has consistently claimed that his policies would benefit the American people. However, his tenure has proven disastrous for the United States, draining the U.S. Treasury of trillions, diminishing America’s global standing, implicating the U.S. in his destructive policies, and edging the world toward a potential World War III.

If former President Trump aims to restore America’s greatness, a crucial first step would be reclaiming U.S. sovereignty from the Israel Lobby’s influence.

The Israel Lobby not only influences congressional voting but also ensures the appointment of staunch Israel supporters to critical national security positions. These appointments have included notable figures such as Madeleine Albright, Lewis Libby, Victoria Nuland, Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, Abram Shulsky, Elliott Abrams, Richard Perle, Amos Hochstein, and Antony Blinken.

Netanyahu’s tenure has been catastrophically costly for the American people, depleting the U.S. Treasury, undermining America’s global stature, making the U.S. a participant in his destructive policies, and pushing the world toward World War III.

In his 1995 book Fighting Terrorism, Netanyahu outlined his strategy not just to combat terrorist individuals but to target the “terrorist regimes” supporting them, with the U.S. leading the charge:

“The end of terrorism must therefore be a firm demand, enforced by sanctions without any rewards. Like all international endeavors, the vigorous application of sanctions on terrorist states must be led by the United States, whose leaders must select the right sequence, timing, and context for these actions.”

As Netanyahu articulated to the American public in 2001 (reprinted in the 2001 foreword to Fighting Terrorism):

“The key insight is this: there is no international terrorism without the backing of sovereign states. Without such support, international terrorism cannot sustain itself over time… Remove this state support, and the whole framework of international terrorism will crumble.”

This perspective resonated with Washington’s neoconservatives, who similarly favored U.S.-led regime changes as the primary strategy against perceived adversaries.

Following the 9/11 attacks, prominent neoconservatives in the Bush administration, including Cheney and Rumsfeld, along with Israel Lobby insiders like Wolfowitz and Feith, collaborated to reshape the Middle East. This involved a series of U.S.-led military campaigns targeting nations identified by Netanyahu (including Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and parts of Islamic East Africa like Libya, Somalia, and Sudan). The involvement of the Israel Lobby in instigating these wars is extensively discussed in Pappe’s book.

Shortly after 9/11, General Wesley Clark was shown a war plan at the Pentagon indicating an intent to overthrow the governments of seven countries within five years, starting with Iraq and then moving on to Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran.

In 2002, Netanyahu advocated for the Iraq war to the American public and Congress, assuring them of the positive regional impact of removing Saddam Hussein’s regime. He predicted that the downfall of Saddam would inspire opposition to similar regimes in neighboring countries, particularly Iran.

A new insider account by retired Marine Command Chief Master Sergeant Dennis Fritz in Deadly Betrayal (2024) sheds light on Netanyahu’s pivotal role in initiating the Iraq War, closely coordinated with Wolfowitz and Feith. Fritz, initially puzzled by the reasons for U.S. military deployment to Iraq, eventually left the military rather than lead troops into an unjustifiable conflict. Later, while assisting Feith at the Pentagon, Fritz discovered that the claimed U.S. objective of dismantling Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction was merely a ploy orchestrated by Israel Lobby insider Abram Shulsky to rally U.S. public support for the war.

The collaboration between neoconservatives and the Israel Lobby has led to one of the greatest global disasters of the 21st century.

While Iraq was intended to be the first of the planned series of wars, subsequent conflicts were delayed by the anti-U.S. insurgency in Iraq. Nevertheless, the U.S. eventually engaged in or supported military actions against Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Lebanon, effectively executing Netanyahu’s strategy—with the exception of Iran. To this day, Netanyahu continues to push for a U.S. military confrontation with Iran, a conflict that could potentially trigger World War III, whether through Iran’s advancement to nuclear capabilities or involvement from its ally, Russia.

The collaboration between neoconservatives and the Israel Lobby has undoubtedly been one of the greatest global catastrophes of the 21st century. The regions affected by U.S. or proxy military actions—Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria—are now devastated. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s aggressive actions in Gaza persist, and once again, the U.S. has isolated itself from global consensus by vetoing a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution supported by the other 14 council members just this week.

The primary challenge for the Trump Administration is not to shield Israel from its neighbors, who consistently advocate for peace based on the two-state solution. Rather, the challenge lies in protecting the U.S. from the overbearing influence of the Israel Lobby.