With the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, the search for an American journalist who has been imprisoned for over 12 years has intensified.
Austin Tice, 43, was detained at a checkpoint while traveling from a suburb of Damascus to Lebanon in 2012. He was working as a freelance journalist for various publications including The Washington Post. A month after his capture, he appeared in a video sent to his family showing him with armed men, titled “Austin Tice is Alive.” It included no other information. It is believed that Tice escaped weeks after he was kidnapped but was recaptured by Syrian intelligence.
The toppling of Assad created new hope in the efforts to find Tice, as one of the rebels&#8217; first priorities was to break into Syria’s prisons and release political prisoners.
Western journalists and NGO workers are inspecting prisons, Israel is refraining from bombing areas where Tice may be, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will get involved in the effort to find Tice, who U.S. intelligence officials believe is alive.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently offering a <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/austin-bennett-tice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1 million reward</a> for information leading to Tice’s return home.
The U.S. government is operating under the belief that Tice is alive and was imprisoned by the Assad regime in one of its detention centers, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/18/netanyahu-austin-tice-israel-syria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios reported</a>. Tice’s parents — who have been constantly fighting for his release — said they received assurances he is alive.
One prisoner, an American, appeared in initial videos following his release lying on a mattress, sparking speculation that he might be Tice, until it was later confirmed that he was Travis Timmerman of Missouri. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/mother-american-journalist-imprisoned-syria-sees-hope-following-news-travis-timmermans-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mrs. Tice said</a> seeing Timmerman’s release felt “like a rehearsal” for her son’s future release.
&#8220;It was almost like having a rehearsal &#8230; an inkling of what it&#8217;s really going to feel like when it is Austin walking free,&#8221; she told NBC television&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.”
<div id="attachment_847061" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-847061" class="size-large wp-image-847061" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-2150698068-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-2150698068-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-2150698068-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-2150698068-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-2150698068-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-2150698068-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-2150698068-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-2150698068-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Debra Tice (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)</div>
The rebel group — which is designated as a terrorist organization — led by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-syrian-rebel-leader-mohammad-al-jolani" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mohammad al-Jolani</a> (Ahmed Hussein al-Shara), has reportedly agreed to cooperate with the U.S. government in the search for Tice. Al-Jolani’s group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has been given a list of former Syrian officials who may have knowledge about Tice, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/us/politics/austin-tice-missing-syria.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported The New York Times</a>. The list was reportedly short because only a small group in Assad’s government were informed on Tice.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, Israel has launched air strikes to destroy Syria’s weapons and military infrastructure including its air defenses, aircraft, missiles, UAVs, radars, and more.
Mrs. Tice, worried about the bombing campaign’s interference in rescuing her son, sent Netanyahu a letter on Tuesday stating that she has “credible information” that her son might be in a prison near Damascus, and asked him to pause until Tice is rescued, Axios reported.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Mrs. Tice that the Israeli Defense Forces are not targeting areas where her son may be located.
“In response to your letter, please rest assured that Israel and its intelligence agencies are fully coordinated with the relevant American authorities on the matter and that the IDF is not active in the area where Austin may be located,” Netanyahu wrote.
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Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu&#8217;s letter to Austin Tice&#8217;s mother.
&#8220;In response to your letter, please rest assured that Israel and its intelligence agencies are fully coordinated with the relevant American authorities on the matter and that the IDF is not active in the area where… <a href="https://t.co/pu72sF3HYQ">pic.twitter.com/pu72sF3HYQ</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1869776806858887411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“I hope that you find a measure of comfort in that knowledge that your son’s courage and dedication as a journalist have not gone unnoticed,” Netanyahu added. “His commitment to the truth and to shining a light on the war in Syria have inspired so many people.”
Mrs. Tice spoke at the National Press Club earlier this month, stating that she was given reassurances that Tice is alive and has been treated well.
“We have from a significant source that has already been vetted all over our government that Austin Tice is alive. Austin Tice is treated well, and there is no doubt about that,” she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Debra Tice: &#8220;We have from a significant source that has been already been vetted all over our government: Austin Tice is alive. Austin Tice is treated well, and there is no doubt about that.” <a href="https://t.co/Iqj5h971io">pic.twitter.com/Iqj5h971io</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1865128039983497295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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NGO Hostage Aid Worldwide, <a href="https://x.com/HostageAid/status/1866195214865690881" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent its president</a>, Nizar Zakka, to Syria to assist in the search for Tice.
During a press conference this week, Putin said he would ask President Bashar al-Assad — who fled to Russia following his regime’s collapse — about Tice’s whereabouts.
“I haven’t met with President [Bashar al-]Assad since his arrival in Moscow, but I plan to do so, I will definitely talk to him,” Putin said, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/19/europe/russia-putin-austin-tice-comments-conference-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported CNN</a>.
But Putin expressed doubt that Tice could be found, citing the lengthy time since his detainment.
“But you and I are adults, we understand, right?” Putin said. “12 years ago, a man disappeared in Syria, 12 years ago! We understand what the situation was there 12 years ago, there was active military action, and on both sides. Does President Assad himself know what happened to this American citizen, a journalist who was doing his journalistic duty in a combat zone? Nevertheless, I promise that I will ask this question to those people who control the situation on the ground in Syria today.”
Putin was asked the question following Mrs. Tice requesting his help in a letter, due to his strong ties to the Syrian government.
“The current situation in Syria compels us to ask for your help in finding Austin and safely reuniting our family,” she reportedly wrote in the letter. “You have profound connections with the Syrian government, which can be a great benefit for our unrelenting efforts to find our Austin and reunite our family.”
In August 2024, the twelfth anniversary of Tice’s abduction, Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href="https://www.state.gov/12-years-of-captivity-for-austin-tice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reiterated the calls</a> for his release in a statement.
“For more than a quarter of his life, Austin has been separated from his family and kept in unknown conditions,” Blinken&#8217;s statement reads. “We know that the Syrian government has held Austin, and we have repeatedly offered to find a way to bring him home.”
In August 2020, on the eighth anniversary of his capture, President-elect Donald Trump issued a statement calling for Tice&#8217;s release and urged the Syrian government to assist in his return.
“There is no higher priority in my administration than the recovery and return of Americans missing abroad,” <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202000606/pdf/DCPD-202000606.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump wrote</a>. “The Tice family deserves answers. We stand with the Tice family and will not rest until we bring Austin home.”
The Tice family praised Trump for sending Kash Patel to Syria to open a dialogue about Tice’s return. The <a href="https://www.austinticefamily.com/family-statements/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family said</a> they were closer than they “have ever been to having Austin safely home” at the time.
The family also met with President Joe Biden, who they said made “significant, encouraging commitments” in the efforts to bring Tice home.
A Houston native, Tice served as a captain in the Marine Corps, is an Eagle Scout, and graduated from Georgetown University. He has won several journalism awards, including the 2012 George Polk Award for War Reporting, the 2012 McClatchy Newspapers President’s Award, and the 2015 National Press Club John Aubuchon Freedom of the Press Award, <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/captive-austin-tice-family-washington-19953579.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Houston Chronicle reported</a>.
Tice traveled to Syria to freelance in the summer of 2012 before his last year at Georgetown Law School. He is <a href="https://www.austinticefamily.com/#about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> the longest-held journalist in captivity, according to the National Press Club.

OP-ED-USSYRIA-JOURNALIST-COMMENTARY-ADV25-FT

Inside The Search for Kidnapped American Journalist Austin Tice

Bashar Assad

Benjamin Netanyahu

Donald Trump

Journalism

Syria

Vladimir Putin

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel’s</a> military has taken up positions in a buffer zone between the Jewish state and Syria for the first time in roughly half a century after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime to Turkish-backed terrorist rebels.
Israel moved to take up positions around the Golan Heights as it monitors developments in Syria, according to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-deploys-in-golan-buffer-zone-with-syria-girding-for-post-assad-regime-chaos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times Of Israel</a>. Rebel forces led by Hay&#8217;at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), designated a terror group by the Trump administration in 2018, ousted Assad and toppled Syria’s government in under two weeks in a shocking blitz offensive.
“The IDF has deployed troops in the buffer zone and in a number of areas that are necessary to defend, in order to ensure the security of the communities in the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. The military emphasized that Israel’s occupation of the region was temporary and defensive against the chaos that has erupted in Syria.
Israel’s move into the United Nations-occupied zone marks the first time since 1974 that Israel has held positions in the area, though the IDF has made brief excursions into the buffer zone over the decades. Israel made the move in part because the UN <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/12/07/israel-assists-un-forces-in-syria-to-repel-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> help repelling rebel attacks in the area.
Israel has reportedly conducted airstrikes in Syria as HTS-led terrorist rebels seized Syria’s capital of Damascus. The strikes targeted weapons and ammunition depots and other military assets left by the Assad military. The assets were targeted in an apparent attempt to keep them from falling into terrorists’ hands, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/suspected-israeli-strikes-hit-part-damascus-two-security-sources-say-2024-12-08/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the fall of the Assad regime in a public address on Sunday while cautioning that the chaos in Syria and the rise of HTS carries its own dangers.
&#8220;This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers,” Netnayhau said, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/netanyahu-hails-historic-fall-bashar-assad-syria-credits-israeli-attacks-hezbollah-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
The effective war Israel has waged against Iran and its terror network, especially Hezbollah, is directly responsible for Assad’s downfall, according to the prime minister.
“This collapse is the direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran, Assad&#8217;s main supporters. It set off a chain reaction of all those who want to free themselves from this tyranny and its oppression,” he said.
&#8220;But it also means that we have to take action against possible threats. One of them is the collapse of the Separation of Forces Agreement from 1974 between Israel and Syria. This agreement held for 50 years. Last night, it collapsed,” Netanyahu continued. “The Syrian army abandoned its positions. We gave the Israeli army the order to take over these positions to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel. This is a temporary defensive position until a suitable arrangement is found.”

Israeli army tank

Israel Occupies Buffer Zone As Syria Falls Into Chaos, Netanyahu Warns Of ‘Significant Dangers’

Global Politics

Israel

World

A former head of Human Rights Watch (HRW) described dozens of hostages held by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hamas</a> as “utter irrelevancies&#8221; on Wednesday.
Kenneth Roth, a visiting professor at Princeton and the former executive director of HRW, accused the Israeli government of giving “diversionary excuses” in response to charges against two top officials by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The ICC charged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, of committing war crimes in the war against Hamas in Gaza.
One of the “excuses” cited by Roth is Israel’s mission to rescue roughly 100 hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, terror attack.
“The Israeli government responded to the ICC war-crime charges with the usual diversionary excuses – the need to liberate the hostages, Hamas’s use of human shields, Israel’s democracy and self-defense, supposed ICC antisemitism – all utter irrelevancies,” Roth said in a post on X.
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The Israeli government responded to the ICC war-crime charges with the usual diversionary excuses – the need to liberate the hostages, Hamas’s use of human shields, Israel’s democracy and self-defense, supposed ICC antisemitism – all utter irrelevancies. <a href="https://t.co/HJTGy8oeb5">https://t.co/HJTGy8oeb5</a>
&mdash; Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1861694957389484307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
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In a later post, Roth <a href="https://x.com/KenRoth/status/1861772388171477432" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the ICC charges are not about whether Israel’s war is just, but about “HOW [Israel] is waging the war. Nothing justifies war crimes.” But he also <a href="https://x.com/KenRoth/status/1861755302485402057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and said Israel’s only reason for continuing the war in Gaza was Netanyahu’s “need for a forever war to retain power and avoid prison&#8230;&#8221;
Roth served as the executive director of HRC from 1993 to 2022. He received pushback online for his characterization of the hostages held by Hamas.
“I can think of 101 people, in addition to their families, who might argue that the hostages are not ‘utterly irrelevant’ to IDF operations in Gaza,” Melissa Weiss, executive editor of Jewish Insider, <a href="https://x.com/melissaeweiss/status/1861746703386161202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X.
International Legal Forum CEO Arsen Ostrovsky <a href="https://x.com/Ostrov_A/status/1861695529383555391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> Roth “an absolute heartless monster.”
Adam Cannon, the director of legal at the British tabloid The Sun, <a href="https://x.com/adam_cannon/status/1861711863228047482" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Roth’s post showcases the “huge anti Israel bias” as HRC.
Cannon wrote to Roth on X: “Your dismissal of the Hamas atrocities and the hostage they took on Oct 7 just illustrates your total lack of understanding or maybe just abject bias when it comes to this conflict, undermining an organisation which should be at the forefront of helping solve the issues.”

Kenneth Roth

Former Human Rights Watch Exec Dismisses Hostages Of Hamas As ‘Utter Irrelevancies’

Hamas

International Criminal Court

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel</a> is expected to enter a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in the coming hours that will bring the war in southern Lebanon to a halt for the time being.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that he was recommending that the country&#8217;s war cabinet agree to the ceasefire deal.
&#8220;The length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon,&#8221; Netayahu said. &#8220;With the United States&#8217; full understanding, we maintain full freedom of military action. If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack.&#8221;
&#8220;If it tries to rebuild terrorist infrastructure near the border, we will attack,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;If it launches a rocket, if it digs a tunnel, if it brings in a truck carrying rockets, we will attack.&#8221;
Netanyahu pointed to three main reasons why Israel should agree to the ceasefire at this time.
&#8220;The first reason is to focus on the Iranian threat, and I won&#8217;t expand on that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The second reason is to give our forces a breather and replenish stocks.&#8221;
&#8220;And the third reason for having a ceasefire is to separate the fronts and isolate Hamas,&#8221; he added. &#8220;From day two of the war, Hamas was counting on Hezbollah to fight by its side. With Hezbollah out of the picture, Hamas is left on its own. We will increase our pressure on Hamas and that will help us in our sacred mission of releasing our hostages.&#8221;
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Netanyahu pointed to Israel&#8217;s successes in decimating Hezbollah through intense strikes over the last year, including killing the group&#8217;s leader and nearly all of its top commanders.
&#8220;We have destroyed most of their rockets and missiles, we have killed thousands of terrorists and we demolished their underground terror infrastructure abutting our border, infrastructure they had been building for years,&#8221; he added.
He also confirmed during his address that Israel did strike a facility inside Iran late last month that was a critical component of their nuclear weapons program.
The strikes inside Iran came in response to Iran firing approximately 180 ballistic missiles inside Israel at the start of October.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
&#8220;The length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon. We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. We will continue united until victory.&#8221;
Full remarks &gt;&gt;<a href="https://t.co/43nIjRoJQv">https://t.co/43nIjRoJQv</a> <a href="https://t.co/KiwT3ZKcog">pic.twitter.com/KiwT3ZKcog</a>
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1861489234940514756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-ANNIVERSARY

Israel Expected To Enter Ceasefire With Hezbollah; Netanyahu Hints At What’s Next

Hezbollah

An internationally acclaimed British barrister blasted the International Criminal Court after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Natasha Hausdorff, an expert on international law, foreign affairs, and national security policy, recently appeared on Dan Senor&#8217;s Call Me Back podcast.
She noted that the warrant was “principally an allegation of intentional starvation, which included a host of false allegations &#8230; my organization, UK Lawyers for Israel, went through that public summary line by line and in a further submission to the court, and a letter to the prosecutor proved, I should say, line by line, that every phrase of every sentence was, in fact, false.”
Hausdorff explained that when the Rome Statute — the treaty that established the ICC — was drafted, “a particular political agenda started to creep in,” adding that the agenda caused both the United States and Israel to refuse to join the ICC. She further explained the Rome Statute was manipulated so that the presence of Jews in the Biblical lands of Judea and Samaria could be considered a crime.
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“Bashar Assad, under his regime over the last, call it, you know, 10 to 15 years, there has been something in the order of over 600,000 Syrians slaughtered,” Senor noted. “Talk about a genocide, an orchestrated genocide with the use of chemical weapons and the complete shelling and destruction of whole Syrian towns, largely Sunni Muslim towns and villages, and some two million Syrians who have been displaced; some internally, but most of them externally displaced. You have talked about forced starvations. We can talk about what famines are like in places like North Korea. We can talk about the wave of human rights abuses in countries like Iran. So just take Kim Jong-un, Bashar Assad, and the Supreme Leader of Iran, Khamenei, as the three examples. The ICC has never, not once, I don&#8217;t think, targeted any of those leaders.”
“We are seeing a vicious cycle of the misreporting in the media and the false narratives, the blood libels, ultimately,” Hausdorff stated. “This is the modern blood libel, to accuse Israelis of killing Palestinian children while Jews were accused of killing Christian children in the Middle Ages in pursuit of their blood. This is no different, except that it now has the modern acceptable face of the hatred of the Jewish state. And I think that&#8217;s why it&#8217;s become so pervasive and it&#8217;s so effective at fueling this weaponization of international law against the Jewish state.”
“Members of the ICC have said, ‘We&#8217;re not going to participate. And we&#8217;re not going to comply,’ I think also chips away at the credibility of the institution,” Senor stated. “I know the U. S, with the new administration coming in and the new Congress coming in, are talking about taking some very strong action against the ICC. We could wind up a year from now with the ICC being a shell of itself.”
“All of these legal terms, genocide, apartheid, all of the Arab world is Jew-free,” Hausdorff noted. “And yet, this allegation is directed at Israel, where there is a 20% minority of Arabs that live as equal citizens. I mean, all of this is utterly extraordinary. But, outside of these exchanges that we&#8217;re having, it is becoming the received wisdom. The ICC isn&#8217;t launching this initiative in a vacuum.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_BmVg1dggg?si=cxxDlgHvEY66nYQ5" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

International Law Expert Condemns ICC For Arrest Warrant Targeting Netanyahu

arrest

The disgusting, corrupt, and anti-Semitic International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
In order to suggest a moral equivalence, they issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif — who is dead. He was the military chief of Hamas killed in an airstrike months ago. 
The ICC arrest warrant is ridiculous and disgusting. The claim is that Israel was deliberately attempting to starve the Palestinians.
Let me explain how insane that is.
Israel has shipped in — I kid you not — 900,000 kilotons of food aid into the Gaza Strip. Kilotons, not pounds. Kilotons. We&#8217;re talking about roughly two billion pounds of food aid shipped into the Gaza Strip in the middle of a war in which Hamas, with the help of some civilians, is currently holding Israelis and Americans hostage. 
Now, the ICC has decided it is going to move forward with this arrest warrant. It’s possible this is an attempt by the prosecutor of this case to avoid the fact that he&#8217;s now been hit with a sexual harassment allegation, apparently by members of both sexes. Thus, he may be attempting to misdirect away from that by issuing an arrest warrant.
The ICC arrest warrant doesn&#8217;t apply in many places that don&#8217;t abide by the ICC. For instance, the United States is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court. Why? Because we are aware that it is, in fact, a repository of evil: dictatorial states and their European dupes. As Americans, what we are concerned about is that they would then attempt to arrest, for example, members of the American military who served in Afghanistan or who served in Iraq.
A note: This is something the Trump administration should, indeed, be worried about. If the ICC issues an arrest warrant for any signatory country to the ICC, that signatory country then has a legal duty — under the ICC — to make the arrest. If you think that won&#8217;t be attempted against Donald Trump, you&#8217;re out of your mind.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2092-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
This is why the United States is not a signatory to the ICC. This used to be a bipartisan understanding, as the U.S. knew the ICC is a trash organization that manipulates the very idea of international law — which doesn&#8217;t exist in the first place — in order to militarize and weaponize against the opponents of some of the world&#8217;s worst regimes. 
The proof is in the pudding. They&#8217;re not just doing this against Netanyahu. They&#8217;re also doing this against Yoav Gallant, his former defense secretary, who was basically fired by Netanyahu and became a sort of opposition figure for a while.
Both Argentina and Hungary have said they&#8217;re not going to abide by the ICC warrants. The ICC is now signaling it may revoke the arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Galant if there is, what they call, a “credible investigation” into charges of genocide and famine in the Gaza Strip by people inside Israel, which figures.
It figures because inside Israel, there are people who are actually allied with organizations like the ICC. The deep state is present in an enormous number of jurisdictions across the globe, whether it be the deep state in Brazil currently targeting Jair Bolsonaro or the deep state in Israel targeting Netanyahu.
There are career appointees in a wide variety of administrative agencies across the world who are directly opposed to the elected governments of these particular places and will use their power in order to stifle the agenda of those particular elected governments.
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The incoming Trump administration has already said they&#8217;re going to take severe measures against the ICC.
The fact that Hamas is celebrating the ICC decision says all anyone needs to know about the International Criminal Court. The ICC is clearly so moral. They are so decent. 
In the International Court of Justice, another U.N. agency, South Africa — a place of tremendous human rights violations — brought a case against Israel for genocide. They did so almost certainly because Iran was paying them.
All these international institutions have been completely weaponized.
It will happen to President Trump. I would bet that at some point, the ICC, at the behest of some corrupt state, will bring some sort of prosecution against Donald Trump and will then try to get the Europeans on the hook to arrest Trump if he were to arrive. Frankly, that would be the best thing that ever happened because no European country is going to arrest the sitting president of the United States.
All of this shows why this institution should be dismantled wholesale.
It&#8217;s vile and it&#8217;s disgusting.

Israeli Authorities Announce Rescue Of Four Hostages From Gaza

The Vile ICC Targets Netanyahu. It Should Be Dismantled.

Ben Shapiro

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Opinion

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and officials of the terror group Hamas on Thursday.
The court issued warrants for leaders of Hamas over the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Hamas’ remaining leaders have reportedly <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-officials-booted-by-qatar-last-week-now-hosted-in-turkey-diplomat-says/">sought</a> refuge in Turkey, a NATO member, after being forced out of Qatar following the election of President-elect Donald Trump.
The ICC, which has long been accused of harboring bias against Israel, accused the Israelis of “crimes against humanity and war crimes” in Israel’s prosecution of its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to the ICC’s <a href="https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-state-palestine-icc-pre-trial-chamber-i-rejects-state-israels-challenges">announcement</a> of the warrants.
Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare,” the court claimed. “The Chamber found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and specific medical supplies, created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza.”
The accusations drew sharp rebukes and allegations of anti-Semitism from American and Israeli officials. Netanyahu’s office <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/11/21/world/israel-netanyahu-hamas-gaza/90430a85-1aae-5a64-be09-ff51f4cad860?smid=url-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the charges against him and Gallant “absurd and false.” 
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not surrender to the pressures,” his office said in a statement. “He will not recoil or withdraw until all of the war’s goals — that were set at the start of the battle — are achieved.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz, who recently replaced Gallant in the role, posted a statement to X ripping the court’s decision as “shameful” and “a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism.”
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The decision by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant is a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism, and drags the international judicial system to an unprecedented low.…
&mdash; ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel_katz/status/1859589862761902113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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In the U.S., Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania responded to the ICC warrants, <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1859582592183566697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> on X that the court has “No standing, relevance, or path.” The senator added, “F*** that,” with an emoji of the Israel flag.
GOP Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, Trump’s pick to be the next National Security Adviser, offered a similar response.
“The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government. Israel has lawfully defended its people &amp; borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC &amp; UN come January,” Waltz posted on X.
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The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government. 
Israel has lawfully defended its people &amp; borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC &amp; UN come January. <a href="https://t.co/jIalwzooeS">https://t.co/jIalwzooeS</a>
&mdash; Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz/status/1859589936967512244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas took aim at the ICC&#8217;s top prosecutor, Karim Khan.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
&#8220;The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it,&#8221; Cotton said in a post on X.
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The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it.
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1859608976389714045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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ICC Blasted Over Arrest Warrants For Netanyahu, Gallant

Courts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he told President Joe Biden that Israel was prepared to stand alone after Biden threatened to abandon the Jewish state if it invaded Rafah, <a href="https://www.now14.co.il/article/1055466">according to Israeli outlet Channel 14</a>. 
&#8220;Biden called me and said: Prime Minister Netanyahu — you will be left alone,” Netanyahu reportedly said during a secret meeting with government officials. 
In response, Netanyahu reportedly told Biden, “We will do it alone.”
Netanyahu added that two days later, Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Israel and reportedly told him that Israel would not get more U.S. weapons if it invaded Rafah. 
“We will fight with our hands and nails,” Netanyahu said he responded.
 &#8220;The Americans estimated that 20,000 people would be killed in Rafah, it turned out to be a total disaster,&#8221; he added.
Despite Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-kamala-was-saying-about-gaza-as-sinwar-cited-white-house-pressure-to-reject-hostage-deal">warning against invading Rafah</a>, Israel’s incursion has been a strategic success, with numerous Hamas members eliminated, including former leader Yahya Sinwar last month. 
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Netanyahu congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory earlier this month, calling it “history’s greatest comeback.”
&#8220;Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!”
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Dear Donald and Melania Trump,
Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!
Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.
This is a huge victory!
In true friendship,… <a href="https://t.co/B54NSo2BMA">pic.twitter.com/B54NSo2BMA</a>
&mdash; Benjamin Netanyahu &#8211; בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1854070348926328965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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So far, Trump has chosen several pro-Israel leaders for his administration, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his pick for the U.S. ambassador to Israel and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as secretary of state.
In a cabinet meeting on Monday, Netanyahu reportedly said Israel’s ability to interfere with Iran’s nuclear program “will be reevaluated” with the incoming Trump administration, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/netanyahu-israel-will-reevaluate-its-ability-to-act-against-irans-nuclear-program-once-trump-takes-office/">reported the Times of Israel</a>.

MixCollage-04-Jun-2024-10-02-AM-7657

Netanyahu Reveals What He Said To Biden After Threats Over Invading Rafah: Report

Executive

Gaza

Joe Biden

Politics

Israeli Prime Minister <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/benjamin-netanyahu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> responded on Saturday night to an assassination attempt on his wife by Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists, calling the decision to go after him and his wife a serious mistake that the group would pay for.
&#8220;The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future.&#8221;
&#8220;I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil: Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We will continue to eliminate the terrorists and those who dispatch them.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil:
Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price.
We will continue to eliminate the terrorists and those who dispatch them.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1847686803614060670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
He said that the attack would not stop Israel from getting the hostages back from Hamas inside Gaza, nor would it stop Israeli citizens from eventually returning to their homes in the northern part of the country.
&#8220;Israel is determined to achieve all our war objectives and change the security reality in our region for generations to come,&#8221; he added.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
Hezbollah <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hezbollah-targets-netanyahus-home-in-drone-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched</a> three drones as part of the attack on Saturday morning. Israeli helicopters managed to shoot down two of the drones, but the third evaded being destroyed.
Some reports suggested that the drone hit a building near his home, however, one photo posted online showed damage at a residence that appeared to be his home.
This marks the first time since the current Islamic war against Israel erupted just over a year ago that Netanyahu has been directly targeted, according to Israeli correspondent Barak Ravid.
The attacks come after Hezbollah vowed this week to escalate its war against Israel after Israel terminated the leader of Iranian-backed Hamas terror group, Yahya Sinwar, on the battlefield this week. Sinwar was the mastermind of Hamas’ October 7 attacked in which 1,200 people inside Israel were murdered.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-intel-on-israeli-military-plans-for-iran-leaked-from-biden-harris-admin-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Intel On Israeli Military Plans For Iran Leaked From Biden-Harris Admin: Report</a>

Drones Launched At Caesarea, Town Where Netanyahu Has Private Residence

‘A Grave Mistake’: Netanyahu Responds To Assassination Attempt

Iran

Terrorism

Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists targeted Israeli Prime Minister <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/benjamin-netanyahu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Benjamin Netanyahu&#8217;s</a> private home in Caesarea early on Saturday with a suicide drone.
&#8220;The prime minister and his wife were not at the residence at the time of the attack and there were no casualties,&#8221; his office said in a statement.
Hezbollah launched three drones as part of the attack. Israeli helicopters managed to shoot down two of the drones, but the third evaded being destroyed.
&#8220;We&#8217;re continuing our battle with Iran&#8217;s other terrorist proxies,&#8221; Netanyahu said in a rare video statement released on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, following the assassination attempt. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to win this war.&#8221;
He said that nothing would deter him from accomplishing Israel&#8217;s goals.
Some reports suggested that the drone hit a building near his home, however, one photo posted online showed damage at a residence that appeared to match his home.
This marks the first time since the current Islamic war against Israel erupted just over a year ago that Netanyahu has been directly targeted, according to Israeli correspondent Barak Ravid.
The attacks come after Hezbollah vowed this week to escalate its war against Israel after Israel terminated the leader of Iranian-backed Hamas terror group, Yahya Sinwar, on the battlefield this week. Sinwar was the mastermind of Hamas&#8217; October 7 attacked in which 1,200 people inside Israel were murdered.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
Hezbollah said in a statement that &#8220;a transition to a new and escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy, which will be reflected in the developments and events of the coming days.&#8221;
Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets in a separate attack on Saturday that wounded at least nine people in northern Israel.
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At least nine people are wounded in rocket impacts in northern Israel amid a Hezbollah attack on the Haifa area and Western Galilee this morning.
In a direct impact in Kiryat Atta, a 28-year-old is listed in light-to-moderate condition after being hit by shrapnel, the Magen… <a href="https://t.co/2QT8Ts7WNN">pic.twitter.com/2QT8Ts7WNN</a>
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) <a href="https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/1847562716270972970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2024</a></blockquote>

ISRAEL-LEBANON-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT

Hezbollah Targets Netanyahu’s Home In Drone Attack

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden-Harris administration</a> tried to take credit for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killing Hamas terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar this week.
In a statement published by the administration, President Joe Biden claimed: &#8220;I directed Special Operations personnel and our intelligence professionals to work side-by-side with their Israeli counterparts to help locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza.&#8221;
&#8220;With our intelligence help, the IDF relentlessly pursued Hamas’s leaders, flushing them out of their hiding places and forcing them onto the run,&#8221; he said.
The administration trotted out Vice President Kamala Harris to deliver a statement on Sinwar&#8217;s death in an apparent attempt to make her look more presidential following her disastrous interview with Fox News host Bret Baier.
Harris&#8217; remarks were nearly identical to Biden&#8217;s, but she did not use his name or reference &#8220;the president.&#8221;
&#8220;In the past year, American special operations and intelligence personnel have worked closely with their Israeli counterparts to locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders, and I commend their work,&#8221; she said.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
She later concluded with: &#8220;I will always work to create a future of peace, dignity, and security for all.&#8221;
After her remarks, she bolted out of the room and refused to answer questions.
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Unable to speak about anything without a script, Kamala ignores questions and immediately darts out of the room following her very brief remarks <a href="https://t.co/Zt1L3SsQwH">pic.twitter.com/Zt1L3SsQwH</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1846979980753850461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
Israel managed to kill Sinwar despite numerous hurdles that the Biden-Harris administration forced Israel to overcome, including pressuring them to not enter Rafah, the location where Sinwar was killed; threatening an arms embargo; slow-walking weapon deliveries to Israel; demanding that Israel unilaterally agree to a ceasefire; and more.

Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Campaigns Across Wisconsin

Biden-Harris Admin Tries To Take Credit For Sinwar’s Death Despite Repeatedly Restraining Israel

Biden Administration

Kamala Harris

Israeli Prime Minister <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/benjamin-netanyahu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> announced on Thursday that anyone who returns hostages from Hamas will be granted safety.
The statement came shortly after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had killed Hamas terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar in southern Gaza.
&#8220;One year ago, Yahya Sinwar, the terrorist chief of Hamas, launched the October 7th massacre against Israel,&#8221; Netanyahu said. &#8220;It was the bloodiest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It was the worst attack on the Jewish state since the founding of Israel.&#8221;
He noted that 1,200 people were brutally murdered, thousands more were injured, and more than 250 were taken hostage by the Iranian-backed terrorist group.
&#8220;While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it&#8217;s the beginning of the end,&#8221; he said. &#8220;To the people of Gaza, I have a simple message: This war can end tomorrow. It can end if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages.&#8221;
&#8220;Hamas is holding 101 hostages in Gaza, who are citizens of 23 countries; citizens of Israel, but citizens of many other countries,&#8221; he continued &#8220;Israel is committed to doing everything in our power to bring all of them home.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
&#8220;And Israel will guarantee the safety of all those who return our hostages,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But to those who would harm our hostages, I have another message: Israel will hunt you down and bring you to justice.&#8221;
With Israel&#8217;s military strike on Iran looming, Netanyahu said that he sees Iran&#8217;s &#8220;axis of terror &#8230; collapsing before our eyes.&#8221;
&#8220;Nasrallah is gone. His deputy Mohsen is gone. Haniyeh is gone. Deif is gone. Sinwar is gone,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The reign of terror that the Iranian regime has imposed on its own people and on the peoples of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen – this too will come to an end.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
“One year ago, Yahya Sinwar, the terrorist chief of Hamas, launched the October 7th massacre against Israel.
It was the bloodiest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It was the worst attack on the Jewish state since the founding of Israel. <a href="https://t.co/U7V2aHd8OY">pic.twitter.com/U7V2aHd8OY</a>
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1847018895556714591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2024</a></blockquote>

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