TheUnited States should slap sanctions on International Criminal Court officialswho seek an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a top foreignpolicy adviser to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, said onTuesday after meeting the Israeli leader. RobertO'Brien, who served as Trump's fourth and final national security adviser, madethe comments in a Jerusalem interview with Reuters after meeting Netanyahu andother Israeli officials during a multi-day visit to the US ally. O'Brien,who said Trump would be briefed on the results of the trip, discussed what hecalled the ICC's "irrational decision" to issue a warrant forNetanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, along with three Palestinian Hamasleaders, in his meetings with the Israeli officials.
"Wecan sanction the bank accounts, the travel. We can put visa restrictions onthese corrupt prosecutors and judges. We can show some real mettle here,"O'Brien told Reuters from Jerusalem.
O'Brienwas joined by former US Ambassador to the UAE John Rakolta and formerAmbassador to Switzerland Ed McMullen. Thetrip, first reported by Reuters, was a rare case of Trump allies travellingabroad as part of an organised delegation to meet foreign officials. It tookplace amid strains between Israel and the Biden administration about the USMiddle East ally's conduct of the war in Gaza.
Inaddition to Netanyahu, the delegation met in recent days with Israeli PresidentIsaac Herzog, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, and Gallant,.
