Last month, George Clooney reportedly called one of Joe Biden’s top advisers to criticize the administration’s response to an international arrest order for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a cause that the famous actor’s wife supported.
According to unidentified individuals who spoke with the Washington Post, Clooney and Biden’s officials spoke last month.
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Clooney reportedly called Biden’s counselor, Steve Ricchetti, to object to Biden’s rejection of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. According to sources, the actor was particularly offended by Biden’s description of the ICC’s conduct as “outrageous.”
After the announcement of the warrants, Biden declared, “The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous.”
Clooney reportedly voiced fear that the administration was planning sanctions against the International Criminal Court, which may expose his wife, Amal, to Biden’s retribution.
The claim coincides with Clooney’s scheduled participation in Biden’s fundraiser this weekend.
Biden-world officials are allegedly concerned that he would withdraw from the event, which will also include appearances by former President Barack Obama, late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, and Julia Roberts, due to the administration’s position on the ICC warrant.
Last month, the International Criminal Court announced arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas commanders, charging both sides of war crimes committed during the continuing battle.
“I support the historic step that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has taken to bring justice to victims of atrocities in Israel and Palestine,” she said following the warrants’ announcement.
Amal Clooney worked with other specialists and agreed to suggest that the ICC pursue the warrants. The decision was unanimous. However, the United States is not a member of the court.
The Israel-Gaza conflict charged Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas commanders—YYehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh—with war crimes for their actions. The conflict began on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people. Since then, over 35,000 Palestinians have lost their lives.
Biden and George Clooney have had a long-term relationship. Clooney once met with Biden while he was vice president.
In 2022, Biden praised Clooney during a presentation of the 45th Kennedy Center Honors, saying he “sincerely” respected the actor for his “deep empathy.”
In addition to dealing with an enraged actor, Biden may be enraging Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky by scheduling his fundraiser on the same night as the embattled leader’s peace meeting in Switzerland.
Zelensky cautioned that the conference “needs” Biden to be present for maximum effect, but the president will not attend.
During a recent visit to Belgium, Zelensky declared, “Only Putin’s personal, standing applause would meet his absence.”
Instead, the White House intends to send Vice President Kamala Harris in his place, according to The Telegraph.
“The Vice President will underscore the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s effort to secure a just and lasting peace, based on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the principles of the UN Charter,” the White House stated in a statement.
