By Adamu S Ladan
The recent issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked a wave of international reactions.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s response, however, raises serious questions about the consistency of Western leaders in upholding the principle of justice on the global stage.
While Biden’s administration has expressed reservations and declined to endorse the ICC’s decision, this contrasts sharply with the West’s unflinching support for similar orders against leaders from Africa and other developing regions.
Historically, Western nations have vocally championed the ICC as an indispensable instrument for accountability, especially when dealing with alleged crimes committed by leaders from less developed nations. African leaders, in particular, have been frequent targets of ICC investigations and arrest warrants. Figures such as Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir and Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta faced swift condemnation and demands for compliance from the very Western powers that now appear hesitant to hold Israel’s leader to the same standard.
This disparity underscores a troubling double standard. When African leaders are accused of crimes, the ICC is lauded as a cornerstone of international law, and compliance is framed as a moral obligation.
However, when it comes to allies like Israel, the narrative shifts. The ICC’s legitimacy is questioned, and its decisions are labeled as politically motivated or detrimental to peace efforts.
President Biden’s tepid response to Netanyahu’s warrant is emblematic of this inconsistency. While the U.S. positions itself as a global champion of democracy and human rights, it has repeatedly shielded Israel from accountability in international forums.
The claim of ensuring “justice” becomes hollow when it is selectively applied, favoring strategic allies while undermining the principle’s universality.
This selective enforcement weakens the credibility of international institutions like the ICC and fuels the perception that global justice is merely a tool for maintaining Western dominance.
It emboldens critics who argue that international law is weaponized against the Global South while shielding powerful allies of the West.
For justice to be truly effective, it must be impartial and universal. The Biden administration, and indeed all Western leaders, must reconcile their rhetoric with their actions.
They cannot, on one hand, demand unflinching adherence to the ICC’s decisions when it involves African or Middle Eastern leaders and, on the other hand, undermine the court’s authority when its rulings implicate their allies.
The principle of justice must rise above geopolitics. Until the West abandons its selective approach, the promise of a fair and equitable international order will remain unfulfilled, leaving the global community disillusioned and the ICC’s mission compromised.