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Selective Justice: The ICC’s Targeting of Israel Undermines Global Trust
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Strength in Adversity: What American Jews Can Be Thankful for This Year
This Thanksgiving, American Jews have much to be thankful for, even amid increasing challenges. The Jewish community has shown remarkable resilience in the face of rising antisemitism. On campuses, youth activism and engagement in Jewish life are creating a vibrant future for Jewish identity and advocacy. We are grateful for the IDF’s unwavering defense of Israel and for the enduring support of friends and allies of Jews and Israelis around the world. The enduring U.S.-Israel relationship remains firm. There are reports of a possible 60-day truce with Hezbollah in Lebanon – offering a glimmer of hope. These victories remind us of the strength and unity that define the Jewish people.
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BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – DISPELLING FALSEHOODS – STORIES
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The International Criminal Court – established to prosecute the world’s most heinous war criminals – has become a tool for political bias. Its recent decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders on unfounded allegations of war crimes reflects a dangerous trend. While rogue regimes and dictators who commit atrocities are ignored, the ICC relentlessly targets Israel – a democracy defending itself against terrorists. This is not justice – it is a perversion of the ICC’s mission and an attack on the legitimacy of the Jewish state.
Court Ignores Actual War Criminals
The ICC recently issued international arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant – now considered ‘fugitives.’ They are subject to arrest upon arrival in more than 100 countries. The warrants could limit their international travel and strain diplomatic relations, while emboldening Israel’s adversaries to escalate their delegitimization campaigns. This ruling sets a dangerous precedent, targeting a democracy defending itself while ignoring atrocities by authoritarian regimes. This new precedent could apply in the future to American soldiers and officials.
The ICC has consistently turned a blind eye to well-documented atrocities in Iran, Syria, North Korea and other authoritarian states. Syria’s brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad is responsible for more than 300,000 civilian deaths since he sparked a civil war in 2011. The Court has not issued an arrest warrant for him despite extensive evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Iran is another example where the ICC looks the other way. A new report documents Iran’s financial sponsorship of Hamas and planning assistance for the 10/7 attack. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei directed the torture and murder of Iranian civilians during protests in 2017, 2019 and 2022, and continues to oppress his own citizens. Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin was indicted by the Court for a war he initiated against a sovereign country, Ukraine.
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Hamas War Crimes and False Allegations
Terrorists in Gaza operate in schools, hospitals and residential areas, intentionally endangering civilians on both sides of the conflict. Hamas, with its record of committing crimes against humanity, continues to hold 101 Israeli hostages and opposes ceasefires. The ICC failed to hold Hamas leaders accountable, even after they committed documented atrocities in the 10/7 massacre. The court recently issued irrelevant warrants for now-deceased Hamas terrorists while ignoring senior leaders who live abroad lavishly, enriched by looted aid money intended for suffering Palestinians.
The ICC’s decision accused Israeli leaders of using starvation as a weapon of war. This false claim was raised as early as Oct. 8. It is part of a broader pattern of false accusations against Israel, including genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid – long weaponized against the Jewish state. Credible reports debunk the starvation charge, noting Israel’s facilitation of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Looting of aid has been a rampant problem – even the UN recently admitted that gangs looted about 100 aid trucks.
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Selective Persecution: Inherent Anti-Israel Bias
The ICC was created in 2002 as a court of last resort to bring perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity – not for democracies with independent judicial systems. Its actions against Israel reflect the same bias seen at other international bodies, including the UN, where anti-Israel resolutions outnumber those targeting the worst human rights offenders. Instead of addressing mass atrocities by dictatorships, the Court amplifies efforts to delegitimize Israel, enabling regimes like Iran and Syria to evade accountability. Israel and the U.S. are not members of the Court, rejecting its jurisdiction on the grounds that it undermines national sovereignty.
The Court’s targeting of Israel undermines its own legitimacy. Its actions play into the hands of Israel’s enemies who are dedicated to destroying the Jewish state by any means necessary – including using the legal system. This is known as lawfare. U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres: “The ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants against the leadership of Israel represents the weaponization of international law at its most egregious. The ICC has set a precedent for criminalizing self-defense.”
Former Defense Minister Gallant: “The ICC legitimizes the murder of babies, the rape of women and the abduction of the elderly from their beds and sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense and moral warfare, while encouraging murderous terrorism.”
The World’s Worst Dictators Cheer While Allies Stand Firm
The ICC decision was celebrated by Israel’s adversaries, further discrediting the Court. Hamas called it “an important step towards justice,” and the Palestinian Authority also applauded the decision. Such rhetoric exposes the intent not to achieve justice, but to destroy Israel’s legitimacy. Iran’s leaders – who fund Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis – praised the decision while continuing their campaign of global terror and oppression. Iran’s Khamenei – dedicated to Israel’s destruction – absurdly called for the execution of Israeli leaders instead of arrest warrants.
The U.S. and UK have strongly rejected the decision, which exposes the ICC’s bias and risks undermining its credibility. The U.S. government announced its “fundamental rejection of the Court arrest warrants” and the UK government firmly stated that “there is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terrorist organizations.” Some supporters of Israel stood up in direct defiance of the Court and invited the Israeli leaders to visit their countries.
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1. Palestinian terrorists are the true perpetrators of war crimes and civilian suffering
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups are directly responsible for the ongoing suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis. On 10/7, Hamas launched a genocidal assault targeting Israeli civilians while intentionally endangering Palestinians – clear violations of international law. They stockpile weapons in schools, hospitals, and mosques, and fire rockets from residential areas to manipulate global sympathy. The real war crimes are committed by terrorists prioritizing destruction and hatred over the wellbeing of those they claim to represent.
2. There is no moral equivalency between Palestinian terrorists and Israeli leaders
Attempts to equate Israel’s defensive actions with the atrocities committed by Palestinian terrorists are false and deeply immoral. Hamas massacred more than 1,200 Israelis on 10/7, including women, children and the elderly, in a genocidal assault. In sharp contrast, Israel’s leaders, operate under strict ethical guidelines, seeking to minimize civilian harm. A false moral equivalency undermines justice and absolves Hamas of its crimes. Palestinian terrorists aim for Israel’s destruction. Israelis want to live in peace and security. The international community must reject this equivalency and hold terrorists accountable.
3. Israel is committed to upholding legal and moral principles
Israel is a democracy with an independent judiciary that holds leaders accountable. In 2016, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former President Moshe Katsav were both serving prison sentences at the same time – Olmert for bribery and Katsav for rape – proving that no one is above the law. Israel’s actions in conflict zones prioritize minimizing civilian harm while defending its citizens against terrorism. The ICC’s decision ignores these realities, unfairly targeting a nation that upholds the rule of law, ethical governance and democratic principles.
4. International groups display strong anti-Israel bias
Global institutions like the UN, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch consistently display anti-Israel bias against the region’s only democracy, while ignoring abuses by dictatorships. Israel – a nation upholding human rights and democratic values – faces disproportionate scrutiny, while egregious human rights regimes in Iran, Syria and Russia evade serious accountability. This double standard undermines credibility, perpetuates bias against the Jewish people and emboldens oppressive regimes. To restore trust in their mission, international groups must hold true violators accountable and ensure justice is applied impartially.
5. Anti-Israel chorus resorts to hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories
Anti-Israel rhetoric surrounding the ICC’s decision is steeped in bias, invoking conspiracy theories and promoting hate. Hamas perversely declared that the decision is an “important step towards justice” and the Palestinian Authority praised it. Hateful narratives that reference a “Zionist holocaust regime,” perpetuate antisemitism – including violent attacks against Jews across America and around the world. Anti-Israel activists used inflammatory language and hate-filled rhetoric to scapegoat, delegitimize and isolate the Jewish state while undermining its right to self-defense.
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A. Educate yourself and share the truth about Israel
Question the sources used by journalists in their coverage of the ICC’s decision against Israel. Many reporters rely on false accusations from biased international organizations and activists known for their anti-Israel views. Verify information, gather facts and speak out to correct misinformation and outright lies:
Media Watchdogs: HonestReporting, CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis)
U.S.: Jewish News Syndicate, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Jewish Insider, Forward
Israel: Times of Israel, i24 News, Jerusalem Post, Yediot Ahronoth, Israel National News, Ha’aretz
Two resources, Wikipedia and ChatGPT, have demonstrated anti-Israel bias and dependence on pro-Palestinian information sources, and entries should not be presumed impartial or accurate.
B. Ask your Congress members to support a strong America-Israel alliance; thank those who do
Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators to urge them to continue supporting the bipartisan relationship between Americans and Israelis. Express your concerns about the ICC's decision that could also affect American soldiers and leaders in the future. Ask them to reaffirm their commitment to opposing international bias against Israel, including at the UN and ICC.
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“International Criminal Court” was the term more commonly used on social media, used more than 374,000 times during the last week. The conversation spiked on November 21 as the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. The conversation topics were on the issued warrants and global reactions which lead into further debates on the ICC’s jurisdiction and conversations on diplomatic tensions and calls for sanctions against the ICC and countries that would enforce the ruling.
Data courtesy of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, which publishes a weekly newsletter related to its campaign #StandUpToJewishHate 🟦 at https://www.fcas.org/newsletter/
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There were many key dates in Israeli history in November. Unfortunately, they have been hijacked by Israel’s enemies to spread hatred. Each fact answers a key falsehood often associated with each historical event.
November 2, 1917: The Balfour Declaration
YOU MAY HEAR: The Balfour Declaration was a colonialist act that ignored Arab rights and handed Palestine to Jews.
Reality: The Balfour Declaration recognized the historic Jewish connection to the land and called for a “national home” while explicitly protecting the civil and religious rights of non-Jewish communities in Palestine. It was a response to Zionist aspirations for self-determination, not an imperialist imposition.
November 19-21, 1977: Egyptian President Sadat's historic visit to Israel
YOU MAY HEAR: Sadat betrayed the Arab world by normalizing ties with Israel.
Reality: Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel, delivered a speech in the Knesset and paved the way for the Camp David Accords and the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. His visit was a courageous step toward peace, demonstrating that mutual recognition could achieve more than decades of conflict.
November 22, 1967: UN Security Council Resolution 242
YOU MAY HEAR: Resolution 242 demands Israel withdraw from all territories occupied in the Six Day War.
Reality: Resolution 242 calls for withdrawal from “territories,” not “all territories,” while ensuring Israel’s right to secure borders. Peace agreements, not unilateral withdrawal, are the intended basis for resolving disputes. Israel has repeatedly sought peace based on these principles.
November 29, 1947: UN Partition Plan
YOU MAY HEAR: The UN Partition Plan unjustly gave more land to Jews and disregarded the rights of Palestinians.
Reality: The UN Partition Plan proposed a fair two-state solution, giving roughly equal areas to Jews and Arabs. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, while Arab leaders rejected it and launched attacks, prioritizing eliminating Israel over coexistence. Responsibility for the conflict lies with the rejectionists who still want to destroy the Jewish state.
November 30, 1947: Start of the Arab-Israeli War – Israel’s War of Independence
YOU MAY HEAR: Israel started the 1948 war to expel Palestinians and seize their land.
Reality: The war began when Palestinian Arabs ambushed two busses, killing seven Jews. In 1948, Over the following months, Arab militias attacked Jewish communities, escalating into full-scale war after Israel declared independence in May 1948. Arab armies from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq invaded, seeking to destroy the Jewish state. Israel defended itself against aggression and sought peaceful coexistence, while Arab leaders rejected compromise and vowed to eliminate Israel.
November 30 Recognition: Jewish Exodus from Arab Countries and Iran
YOU MAY HEAR: Palestinian refugees are the only displaced victims of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Reality: More than 850,000 Jews were expelled from Arab countries and Iran after 1948, losing homes, businesses and citizenship. While Israel absorbed these refugees, many Arab nations refused to resettle Palestinians, perpetuating their suffering for political purposes. Israel commemorates the expulsion.
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Stories Impacting the U.S. and Israel
Stories From Around the World
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DAILY NEWS BRIEFS
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The Focus Project develops and distributes news, background, history and weekly talking points on timely issues to inform individuals and organizations about issues affecting the American Jewish community and Israel, and help readers speak with more consistency and clarity. The editions also provide potential responses for addressing incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. With input from a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations, we focus on that which unites us, rising above political and individual agendas.
Recognizing that hatred of Jews comes in many forms and directions, we strive to address all sources as they arise, and educate our growing audience on topics ranging from inter-religious relations to relevant international developments. From week to week, we may focus on issues arising from the political left, university campuses, from the political right and from institutions, government, and corporations. We don’t try to address all issues in each edition. We hope you will find this information useful in your writing and/or speaking. We are always open to your feedback: info@focus-project.org.
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