George Clooney Contacts White House To Defend His Lebanese Wife
Hollywood star George Clooney contacted the White House last month to express his dissatisfaction with President Biden’s criticism of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) attempt to issue arrest warrants against top Israeli officials.
According to a media report, George’s wife, Amal Clooney, who is also a respected lawyer, played a key role in advocating for the ICC to prosecute Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes in Israel and Gaza.
During the call, George Clooney voiced his concerns to Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti regarding the possibility of his wife facing penalties under a sanctions bill if Biden signs it into law.
He also took issue with Biden’s remarks about the arrest warrants and the administration’s initial willingness to impose sanctions on ICC officials, as reported by the Washington Post.
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On Tuesday, the House passed the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, supported by 42 Democrats and nearly all Republicans except two.
This act would compel Biden to prohibit entry into the US, cancel visas, and apply financial sanctions to ICC members involved in issuing the arrest warrants.
Whether the Senate will consider this legislation remains uncertain. The White House announced on Monday that it “strongly opposes” the bill.
The Biden administration argues that the proposed legislation could lead to sanctions against various individuals associated with the ICC, including staff, judges, witnesses, and US allies and partners who support the court. They believe there are better ways to defend Israel.
It is not clear whether the administration’s statement was influenced by Clooney’s call.
