Amal had key role in ICC bid to have both Hamas and Israeli leaders arrested

[size=32]Amal Clooney played key role in ICC bid to request arrest warrants for Israeli PM and Hamas leader - all while keeping dignified silence as she faced online abuse for 'not speaking out on Palestine'[/size]
By PERKIN AMALARAJ
PUBLISHED: 13:00 EDT, 20 May 2024 | UPDATED: 14:46 EDT, 20 May 2024




Amal Clooney played a key role in the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas' leader Yahya Sinwar over alleged war crimes, it has been revealed. 
Clooney, a renowned human rights lawyer, was named as one of the six legal experts who helped British prosecutor Karim Khan come to the decision, announced today, to seek warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders.
Clooney, who is married to Hollywood legend George Clooney, revealed that she had been asked to help Khan evaluate the evidence of alleged war crimes in Gaza and Israel four months ago. 
She added in a statement on her foundation's website: 'As a human rights lawyer, I will never accept that one child's life has less value than another's. I do not accept that any conflict should be beyond the reach of the law, nor that any perpetrator should be above the law.'
The news comes after Clooney faced months of backlash from her critics and fans alike for not speaking out about the deadly war in Gaza that has so far killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, at least half of them women and children, according to the latest estimates by Gaza health officials.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]





Amal Clooney (pictured), a renowned human rights lawyer, was named as one of the six legal experts who helped British prosecutor Karim Khan come to the decision
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]





Yahya Sinwar (pictured) was accused of committing severe war crimes in the Middle East 
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]





The ICC called for an arrest warrant to be issued against Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured)
[size=18]Netanyahu slams ICC prosecutor's move, alleges targeting of Israel





Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
0[/size]




[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




Palestinians walk past damaged buildings in Khan Younis on April 8 2024
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




Hamas and Israel were accused of committing war crimes
TRENDING

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Biden slams ICC's over Netanyahu arrest warrant Amal Clooney worked on
29.8k viewing now

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Biden blasts 'outrageous' decision by ICC over Netanyahu warrant
5.3k viewing now

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

ICC seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas leader Sinwar
22.7k viewing now

Many of her former critics took to social media to apologise for their harsh comments about the human rights lawyer. 
One wrote on X: 'I fully take back criticism of Amal Clooney for not speaking publicly about Gaza. She couldn't as she was involved with the proceedings.'
Another said: 'Amal Clooney quietly working on the ICC proceedings to bring Israel to The Hague for war crimes while she was being dragged online for not posting about Gaza. Queen, sorry we doubted you.'
Israel and its allies have already lashed out at the ICC for its decision. 
An Israeli official slammed the ICC's move as a 'baseless blood libel' against the country, while senior figures including President Isaac Herzog called the move 'outragious,' saying it 'cannot be accepted by anyone'.
'[The] ICC prosecutor's baseless blood libel against Israel has crossed a red line in his lawfare efforts against the lone Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East,' the official said, according to the Financial Times.  
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




For months, Clooney was harrassed for not taking stance on the war in Gaza
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




Hamas' incursion into Israel killed around 1,200 people, almost all of whom were civilians, on October 7
'The blood libel will not deter Israel from defending itself and accomplishing all its just war objectives' in Gaza, the official added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday denounced as 'shameful' a bid by the International Criminal Court prosecutor to arrest Israeli leaders, rejecting the court's authority and saying the move put ceasefire efforts at risk.
'We reject the prosecutor's equivalence of Israel with Hamas. It is shameful,' Blinken said in a statement. 
A spokesperson for British prime minister Rishi Sunak said: 'This action is not helpful in relation to reaching a pause in the fighting, getting hostages out or getting humanitarian aid in.' 
'We fully respect the independence of the ICC,' Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer said. 'The fact however that the leader of the terrorist organisation Hamas whose declared goal is the extinction of the State of Israel is being mentioned at the same time as the democratically elected representatives of that very State is non-comprehensible.' 
In an interview on Monday, Khan said the warrants are for war crimes and crimes against humanity over the Hamas terror group's deadly October 7 attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent war in the Gaza Strip.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court has said today he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant - as well as three Hamas leaders
He said warrants were being sought for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (aka Mohammed Deif), the leader of the Al Qassem Brigades - Hamas' military wing, and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' political leader.
Khan told CNN that the charges against the trio include 'extermination, murder, taking of hostages, rape and sexual assault in detention.'
'The world was shocked on the 7th of October when people were ripped from their bedrooms, from their homes, from the different kibbutzim in Israel,' Khan told CNN host Christiane Amanpour, adding that 'people have suffered enormously.'
In a separate statement, he said that he saw for himself 'the devastating scenes of these attacks and the profound impact of the unconscionable crimes charged in the applications filed today. 
'Speaking with survivors, I heard how the love within a family, the deepest bonds between a parent and a child, were contorted to inflict unfathomable pain through calculated cruelty and extreme callousness. These acts demand accountability.' 
He also said the ICC was applying for warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for their part in the assault on the Gaza strip that continues today.
'We have applied for warrants – of course the judges must determine whether or not to issue them, but we have applied today,' he told Amanpour.
He said the charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include 'crimes of causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.'
Speaking of Israel's actions, Khan said in a statement that 'the effects of the use of starvation as a method of warfare, together with other attacks and collective punishment against the civilian population of Gaza are acute, visible and widely known. 
'They include malnutrition, dehydration, profound suffering and an increasing number of deaths among the Palestinian population, including babies, other children, and women,' he added.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




Khan said arrest warrants were being sought for three Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar (pictured, file photo)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]





Warrants are also being sought by the ICC for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (aka Mohammed Deif, pictured left), the leader of the Al Qassem Brigades - Hamas' military wing, and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' political leader who is based in Qatar
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




An arrest warrant is also being sought for Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant (pictured)
Several senior Israeli officials slammed the ICC's move to seek warrants against Netanyahu and his defence chief.
'Any attempt to draw parallels between these atrocious terrorists and a democratically elected government of Israel - working to fulfil its duty to defend and protect its citizens entirely in adherence to the principles of international law is outrageous and cannot be accepted by anyone,' President Herzog said.
Benny Gantz, an Israeli war cabinet minister, called the ICC's move a 'distortion'.
'Drawing parallels between the leaders of a democratic country determined to defend itself from despicable terror to leaders of a blood-thirsty terror organisation (Hamas) is a deep distortion of justice and blatant moral bankruptcy,' he said.
Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said he would 'speak with foreign ministers of leading countries around the world to urge them to oppose the prosecutor's decision and declare that even if warrants are issued, they do not intend to enforce them against Israeli leaders.'
Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right politician and finance minister, said the decision was a 'show hypocrisy and Jew-hatred'.
'Arrest warrants against them are arrest warrants against us all,' he said. 
Hamas also responded to the news. 
'Hamas strongly denounces the attempts of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to equate the victim with the executioner by issuing arrest warrants against a number of Palestinian resistance leaders,' the terror group said.
'Hamas... demands the cancellation of all arrest warrants issued against leaders of the Palestinian resistance, for violating UN conventions and resolutions.'
On the other hand, war crimes prosecutor Reed Brody praised the ICC.
'Many thought this request would never come. Israeli leaders are finally facing a legal reckoning for their actions,' he said.
'Top Hamas officials likewise face justice for the cruel and inhuman taking of hostages and other crimes against humanity.
'ICC warrants if approved would make Netanyahu a wanted man, in the same category as (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




In an interview on Monday, Karim Khan (pictured in April) said the warrants are for war crimes and crimes against humanity over the terror group's deadly October 7 attack and Israel's subsequent war in the Gaza Strip
The United Nations and other aid agencies have repeatedly accused Israel of hindering aid deliveries throughout the war. Israel denies this, saying there are no restrictions on aid entering Gaza and accusing the UN of failing to distribute aid. 
The UN says aid workers have repeatedly come under Israeli fire, and also says ongoing fighting and a security vacuum have impeded deliveries. 
Israel launched its war in response to an October 7 cross-border attack by Hamas that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. 
The Israeli offensive has killed around 35,000 Palestinians, at least half of them women and children, according to the latest estimates by Gaza health officials.
The Israeli offensive has also triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, displacing roughly 80 percent of the population and leaving hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of starvation, according to UN officials. 
The prosecutor must request the warrants from a pre-trial panel of three judges, who take on average two months to consider the evidence and determine if the proceedings can move forward.
Israel is not a member of the court, and even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. 
But Khan's announcement deepens Israel's isolation as it presses ahead with its war, and the threat of arrest could make it difficult for the Israeli leaders to travel abroad.
Both Sinwar and Deif are believed to be hiding in Gaza as Israel tries to hunt them down. But Haniyeh, the supreme leader of the Islamic militant group, is based in Qatar and frequently travels across the region.
There was no immediate comment from either side when approached by the Associated Press, the news agency reported.
Meanwhile on Monday, Gallant said the Israeli military would expand its operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in talks with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who met with Israeli military leadership in Tel Aviv.
Sullivan's visit comes two weeks into the military's foray into Rafah, where troops have been battling Hamas fighters and escalating bombardment. 
The Biden administration has opposed a full-fledged invasion of Rafah because of fears for the civilian population.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 19, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]




Palestinians salvage items from the rubble of a family house that was hit overnight in Israeli bombardment in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood of Rafah in southern Gaza on May 20, 2024
So far Israeli forces have mainly been operating in eastern parts of the city, but the fighting has already triggered an exodus of more than 810,000 Palestinians, according to the United Nations.
'I emphasised to him (Sullivan) Israel's duty to expand the ground operation in Rafah, to dismantle Hamas and to return the hostages,' Gallant said in a post on X.
In his visit, Sullivan was also discussing postwar plans for Gaza at a time when Netanyahu faces criticism from the other members of his War Cabinet.
Netanyahu's main political rival Benny Gantz has threatened to leave the government if a plan is not created by June 8 that includes an international administration for postwar Gaza.

And now this:

   Mr Biden is not happy with the ICC statement....

  https://www.showbiz411.com/2024/05/20/can-george-clooney-still-stump-for-joe-biden-now-that-wife-amal-has-called-benjamin-netanyahus-arrest-as-a-war-criminal

[size=45]Can George Clooney Still Stump for Joe Biden Now That Wife Amal Has Called for Benjamin Netanyahu’s Arrest as a “War Criminal”?

May 20, 2024 8:34 pm
ByRoger Friedman
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][/size]

Share






[url=https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=Can+George+Clooney+Still+Stump+for+Joe+Biden+Now+That+Wife+Amal+Has+Called+for+Benjamin+Netanyahu%E2%80%99s+Arrest+as+a+%E2%80%9CWar+Criminal%E2%80%9D%3F %0A%0A [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[url=https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=Can+George+Clooney+Still+Stump+for+Joe+Biden+Now+That+Wife+Amal+Has+Called+for+Benjamin+Netanyahu%E2%80%99s+Arrest+as+a+%E2%80%9CWar+Criminal%E2%80%9D%3F %0A%0A [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]





[size=18]The Biden campaign has a tricky situation coming up next month.
An all star event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel in Los Angeles set for June 15th is supposed to feature George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Kimmel will moderate a conversation between Biden and Barack Obama. Tickets start at $250 per person ranging up to $500,000 for an “event chair” tier. Proceeds go to the Biden Victory Fund.
But now Clooney’s wife, Amal Alamuddin, a Lebanese born British barrister, has wound up in the cross hairs of Biden. As a member of the International Criminal Court today she called the leaders of Hamas as war criminals and asked for warrant of arrest, which was fine. But then she threw in Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden responded this afternoon with remarks aimed at Amal’s work. “The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” Biden said in the statement. “And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
Alamuddin wrote about her participation in the ICC today on her website. She wrote: “More than four months ago, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asked me to assist him with evaluating evidence of suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel and Gaza. I agreed and joined a panel of international legal experts to undertake this task. Together we have engaged in an extensive process of evidence review and legal analysis including at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. “
You can further read the op ed item she signed in the Financial Times today.
Alamuddin has long been an international advocate for refugees. But her stand on Israel will now put her in direct opposition to Biden.
The report today from the ICC doesn’t just accuse Netanyahu of war crimes. It includes the three leaders of Hamas — Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — for committing “war crimes and crimes against humanity for the killing of hundreds of civilians, the taking of at least 245 hostages and acts of sexual violence committed against Israeli hostages.”
But Alamuddin and her group seem not to care that Hamas committed these crimes unprovoked, on innocent people attending a music festival. It also ignores the UN report of murder and sex crimes against the Israeli’s and that Hamas has refused to return the hostages for a ceasefire. She’s made the two sides equal in their fault. Biden will never agree with this.
So the Biden campaign may have to look for another celebrity for June 15th. There are plenty of pro-Israel stars who I’m sure back Biden. George Clooney may not be the right fit here.[/size]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Awkward: Will George Clooney Have To Choose, Biden Or Amal?
Top Hollywood star is expected to headline a mega-fundraiser for the president, but yesterday the administration attacked his wife's work.
ANALYSIS | QIOSK
Qiosk Israel Gaza
ELI CLIFTON
MAY 22, 2024
Monday’s decision by the International Criminal Court to apply for arrest warrants for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity was denounced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken as “shameful.”

Blinken, in a lengthy statement, went on to attack the legitimacy of the ICC, saying it “has no jurisdiction over this matter” and “this decision does nothing to help, and could jeopardize, ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement…”

Those attacks on the ICC’s legitimacy put A-list actor George Clooney in an awkward position. He is tentatively headlining a huge Biden fundraiser in Los Angeles on June 15 while Biden’s administration is actively attacking the work of the ICC’s panel of international legal and academic experts who evaluated the evidence leading up to the arrest warrant — experts who include Clooney’s wife, Amal Clooney.

It also stands in stark contrast with the administration’s March 2023 statements urging all members of the ICC to comply with its arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Amal and George Clooney are co-founders and co-chairs of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, a group dedicated to “a world where human rights are protected and no one is above the law,” according to its website.

The foundation published a statement by Amal Clooney on Monday, after the ICC arrest warrant applications were issued.

She said:

I served on this Panel because I believe in the rule of law and the need to protect civilian lives. The law that protects civilians in war was developed more than 100 years ago and it applies in every country in the world regardless of the reasons for a conflict. As a human rights lawyer, I will never accept that one child’s life has less value than another’s. I do not accept that any conflict should be beyond the reach of the law, nor that any perpetrator should be above the law. So I support the historic step that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has taken to bring justice to victims of atrocities in Israel and Palestine.

That view of the ICC’s work is clearly not shared by the Biden White House but George Clooney is currently advertised as a “special guest” for the major June 15 fundraiser for Biden’s reelection campaign in Los Angeles. The event, “An Evening for President Joe Biden with President Barack Obama,” also features Jimmy Kimmel, Julia Roberts, in addition to Clooney. Ticket packages range in cost from $250 to $500,000.

The last such fundraiser was held in March at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, raising $25 million, but several hundred protesters stood outside the venue while others disrupted the event from inside the venue, shouting “blood on your hands” at Biden, until they were escorted out by security, according to The New York Times.

Protesters will likely target the upcoming LA fundraiser as well, an event at which Clooney will be in the uncomfortable role of standing on stage alongside, and actively raising money for, a president who is undermining the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s mission and attacking Amal Clooney’s work with the ICC.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice did not respond to a request for comment.