ACTION ALERT: Block Senate Bill to Protect
Netanyahu from War Crimes Charges
Jon Rainwater / Peace Action

Call your Senators at 1-202-224-3121 to demand they
vote against a bill to shield Netanyahu from accountability
under the International Criminal Court

(January 15, 2025) — I’m writing to update you on the swift progress of a bill that seeks to give Netanyahu and his cronies cover for crimes against humanity.  Last week, by a vote of 243-198, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 23, a cruel and cynical bill to shield Israel and other US allies from accountability at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Now they are moving swiftly to the Senate.

That’s right. While the US rewards Israel with $8 billion in brand new weapons transfers, Congress is voting to sanction the International Criminal Court for attempting to stop the human rights violations. (In the coming days, we’ll be writing to you to recruit you in efforts to stop the weapons transfers. Stay tuned.)

As I mentioned last week this bill is another effort to silence human rights defenders. Anyone who “aids” the ICC in simply “investigating” someone like Netanyahu or the Israeli government — along with their family members — could also be sanctioned. This law could create a chilling effect on peace and rights organizations — that’s by design. It’s also a direct attack on the ICC itself as it investigates and prosecutes human rights crimes by Russia in Ukraine as well as in Myanmar and Sudan. The Senate vote could come any time now so it’s best to make a call rather than email.

Here’s What You Can Do:

1) Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121

2) Ask to be connected to your Senators’ offices (make two calls, one to each senator).

3) Once connected, give them this message (in as much of your own words as possible):

Hello, my name is ______________ and I am a constituent. I urge the Senator to vote NO the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act” which is expected to be voted on soon. This bill is clearly designed to shield Bibi Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders from accountability for the horrific war crimes in Gaza. The US should not be putting sanctions on the International Criminal Court for appropriately investigating alleged war crimes by Israeli — and Hamas — leaders.
The Senate should not vote to sanction the ICC for doing its job while the US continues to send the weapons used in human rights violations. Such a stance, of enabling human rights violations while protecting the perpetrators, would only harm the reputation of the United States further with the global community.  

This Congressional session is getting off to a hectic start. We’re fighting the worst Trump appointments like Hegseth and Rubio, we’re opposing more arms transfers to Israel, and at the same time we need to fight back against these attacks on international human rights institutions and the effort to give people like Netanyahu — and his enablers — impunity for their crimes.

Please call today if you can.

Jon Rainwater is the Executive Director of Peace Action