Actor George Clooney called a White House aide to complain about the President’s comments criticizing the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its request for an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The court sought warrants for Israel’s leader, as well as his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a small number of Hamas officials, which President Biden refused to back. Attorney Amal Clooney, Mr. Clooney’s wife, was involved in the push to secure the warrants, and the actor is reportedly furious that the Biden administration hinted it would back sanctions on the ICC.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress in May that he would consider sanctioning the court for what he described as its “profoundly wrong-headed decision.” The President had previously described the ICC’s move as “outrageous” and said there was no equivalence between Israel’s government and the designated terror group Hamas.
Mr. Blinken expressed the view to lawmakers after Texas Republican Chip Roy introduced the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, barring those involved in the warrant requests from the United States and prohibiting them from undertaking American property transactions.
Academy Award winner Clooney reportedly called Steve Ricchetti, Counselor to the President, voicing concerns that his wife could be subject to such sanctions.
The White House has since distanced itself from Blinken’s remarks and declared it would not pursue ICC sanctions, prompting Mr. Netanyahu to tell reporters he was “disappointed” and surprised given the apparent bipartisan consensus on the issue just days earlier.
An avid supporter of President Biden, George Clooney is scheduled to host a fundraiser for his White House campaign in Los Angeles in June. Clooney furthermore donated $500,000 to support Biden’s 2020 run and was a prominent backer of Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016.
The June fundraiser will feature fellow Hollywood A-lister Julia Roberts, as well as Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. The two former leaders appeared with Biden at a Manhattan event in March, raising more than $25 million.