President Donald Trump signed a batch of executive orders Thursday to combat anti-Christian bias and condemn the ‘illegitimate and baseless’ charges against Benjamin Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court.
Trump’s executive action regarding the ICC will add financial sanctions and travel restrictions against the organization’s officials in response to the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, which it issued in May 2024 as a result of the Israel-Hamas war.
The ICC is an international organization based in The Hague. It investigates and prosecutes those accused of war crimes, genocide and other crimes against humanity.
‘The U.S. will impose tangible & significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions,’ Trump’s order states.
The warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest was pushed by ICC official Karim Khan, who is from the U.K.
If the PM was to visit any countries like France or the U.K., he could be arrested. Khan also put out warrants for top Hamas leaders who have since been killed.
US President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 30. On Thursday Trump signed more executive actions to root out anti-Christian bias in the federal government and add sanctions on members of the ICC
The ICC put out a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in May 2024 for his actions relating to the Israel-Hamas war
Trump and Netanyahu in the Oval Office this week. Trump signed the orders sanctioning members of the ICC while the Israeli PM was in town this week
Netanyahu was in Washington, D.C., when Trump signed the order. He has met with Trump and other top U.S. officials all week, being the first foreign leader to visit the recently-inaugurated president.
In addition to sanctioning the ICC Trump also signed an executive order to stand up a task force within the Department of Justice to eradicate ‘anti-Christian bias.’
Attorney General Pam Bondi will chair the task force and its membership will include Trump’s Cabinet members and other high-ranking officials deemed fit for the operation.
These officials will be responsible for reviewing the activities of executive branch department actions under Joe Biden to identify policies and practices that may have been anti-Christian or illegal.
The task force will collaborate with faith-based organizations and will develop strategies to protect religious liberties.
It will also submit reports to the president on its findings, the first of which is due in 120 days.
Trump has railed against the weaponization of government and has recently highlighted the prosecution of Christian activists who sat in at a Planned Parenthood clinic to advocate against abortions.
The president pardoned some convicted of crimes related to their activism.
Netanyahu with a group of senators on Thursday on Capitol Hill
Trump also signed an order to create a task force to root out ‘anti-Christian bias’
‘They should not have been prosecuted,’ he said while signing pardons for ‘peaceful pro-life protesters’ in January.
The protesters were prosecuted and sent to jail for singing songs, praying, and locking arms to block access to clinics providing abortions, as they urged women not to get abortions.
The president’s pardons were signed by Trump just hours before pro-life activists gathered in Washington, DC for their annual March for Life.
