Yesterday, a coalition of Democratic senators, including Mark Kelly, Jacky Rosen, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Wyden, Adam Schiff, Gary Peters, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Ruben Gallego, voiced their opposition to sanctions on the International Criminal Court as proposed by a House bill, condemning the ICC's treatment of Israel yet criticizing the bill's measures as overly broad and potentially harmful to U.S. allies and companies.

The group, all known for their pro-Israel stances, criticized the ICC for unjustly equating Israel's self-defense with what they called "Hamas's barbaric actions on October 7th," according to Senator Mark Kelly's Office. While they agree that the judicial body's actions warrant sanctions, they believe the current bill's language is too broad and punishes more than just those responsible for this alleged misjudgment. The senators seek a more nuanced approach, aligning their critique with a call for bipartisanship in defending Israel through sanctions that directly target the ICC officials involved.

In a statement released by Senator Mark Kelly's Office, the senators elaborated on their position, claiming, "Instead of directly punishing those responsible for the ICC’s reckless and irresponsible behavior, the House-passed ICC sanctions bill has overly broad language that would put our allies and U.S. private companies in the crosshairs."

The dissenting vote against the procedural motion for the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act emphasizes a desire for a more strategic response. These senators lamented that their efforts to amend the bill were not accepted, leading them to reject the motion despite their eagerness to support sanctions condemning the ICC's perceived anti-Israel bias. They seek a measure that balances punitive action with geopolitical strategy and hope Republicans will join them in crafting targeted legislation that could garner unanimous support for Israel's security.