Today, the Trump administration took important steps to counter anti-Israel action at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to disrupt Iran's illicit oil trade.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on two ICC judges engaged in the Court's "politicized and illegitimate actions against Israel."
Rubio said that the ICC's actions targeting Israel set a dangerous precedent for all nations and that the U.S. will not "tolerate ICC abuses of power that violate the sovereignty of the United States and Israel and wrongly subject U.S. and Israeli persons to the ICC’s jurisdiction."
"Our message to the Court has been clear: the United States and Israel are not party to the Rome Statute and therefore reject the ICC’s jurisdiction. We will continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to the ICC’s lawfare and overreach," Rubio added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar thanked the Trump administration for today's action.
Also today, the Treasury Department announced additional sanctions on Iran's shadow fleet, which illicitly exports Iranian petroleum products, primarily to China, in violation of U.S. sanctions.
The sanctions target "29 shadow fleet vessels and their respective management firms that have transported hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products."
"As President Trump has said repeatedly, the United States will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Treasury will continue to deprive the regime of the petroleum revenue it uses to fund its military and weapons programs," Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said.
AIPAC thanks the Trump administration for the important actions taken today to hold the ICC accountable and disrupt Iran's illicit oil trade.
Israel signs $35 billion deal to sell natural gas to Egypt
Israel has signed a $35 billion deal to sell natural gas to Egypt, the largest gas deal in Israel's history.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that, "this deal greatly strengthens Israel's status as a regional energy power and contributes to stability in our region."
The plan, which grants U.S.-based gas company Chevron an export permit for Israel's Leviathan gas field, will provide roughly 25% of Egypt's electricity supply.
Speaking about the deal, a U.S. official said, "This is a huge opportunity for Israel. Selling gas to Egypt will create interdependence, get the countries closer together, create a warmer peace and prevent war."
Hostage survivors Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Agam Berger, and Emily Damari spent the past two Hanukkahs in Hamas captivity. Last year, they prayed they would celebrate the next Hanukkah together.
This year, they got together to celebrate freedom and light Hanukkah candles together.
Israel strikes Hezbollah as deadline looms for Lebanese government to disarm terrorists
Yesterday, the IDF launched a series of airstrikes on Hezbollah as the deadline for the Lebanese government to disarm the terrorist group approaches.
In southern Lebanon, the IDF eliminated a terrorist who was operating to "collect intelligence regarding IDF activity in southern Lebanon and took part in Hezbollah’s attempts to reestablish its infrastructure," the military said.
The United States must continue to increase the pressure on Lebanon to fulfill its stated commitment to fully disarm Hezbollah.
Video: Ben Shapiro condemns Tucker Carlson in speech at Heritage Foundation
In a speech at the Heritage Foundation, Ben Shapiro issued a strong rebuke of Tucker Carlson as an opponent of conservative values.
According to Shapiro, Carlson "has become, by any honest assessment, an opponent of conservatism, an outsider masquerading as an insider and destroying the character of the conservative movement in the process.”
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
