The new chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is pushing for legislation that would sanction the International Criminal Court over its issuance last year of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Rep. Brian Mast, Florida Republican, said the sanction would send a clear message to the ICC that its decision to seek the arrest of Mr. Netanyahu along with Yoav Gallant, his former defense minister, amounts to “unwarranted targeting” of Israel.

“The ICC’s attempt to obstruct Israel’s right to defend itself has only prolonged the war and prevented the release of American hostages by boosting Hamas’ morale,” Mr. Mast said Monday.

The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act would sanction anyone working to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute American citizens or an official from a country such as Israel that is allied with the U.S. It would cover officials with NATO along with major non-NATO countries such as Japan and Taiwan, Mr. Mast said.

If the legislation becomes law, sanctioned ICC officials and their immediate family members would be denied visas to enter the United States. Those already in the country would have their visas revoked and face deportation. It also would apply to anyone providing “financial, material, or technological support” to the international court.

The arrest warrants were issued in November by the judges of the International Criminal Court, which is based in The Hague. They concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe the two Israeli leaders are criminally responsible for acts such as murder and starvation against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

The United States does not recognize the authority of the International Criminal Court. In November, President Biden called the ICC’s decision to issue the arrest warrants “outrageous.”

“Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas,” Mr. Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”

Rep. Chip Roy, Texas Republican, co-sponsored the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, calling the ICC an organization “that has no business interfering with our sovereignty or that of our allies.”

“Now it is engaged in a shameful lawfare campaign against Prime Minister Netanyahu for doing his duty to protect his fellow citizens from Hamas in the wake of the barbaric October 7th attacks,” Mr. Roy said, referring to the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ assault on southern Israel in 2023. “But let’s be clear, this isn’t just about Israel, this is about ensuring that our nation’s sovereignty is protected, as well as the American service members.”

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.