There the song “Stand by Your Man.” Actor George Clooney took it one step further by standing by his woman.
Clooney called a top aide to President Joe Biden last month to complain about Biden’s criticism of the International Criminal Court’s action against Israeli leaders.
Why did Clooney care? His wife, Amal Clooney, worked on the case, three people familiar with the conversation told the Washington Post.
Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, received the call from Clooney, who was concerned about Biden’s criticism of arrest warrants sought by ICC prosecutors for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The prosecutors also wanted warrants for top Hamas leaders.
Clooney was upset about the administration’s initial possible imposition of sanctions on the ICC since this could include his wife the people said. The informants spoke on the condition of anonymity since it was a private conversation.
Clooney is set to appear at a fundraiser for Biden’s reelection campaign June 15 in Los Angeles.
There is now concern within the campaign Clooney won’t show.
Former president Barack Obama, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel and actress Julia Roberts are also expected to be in attendance. Clooney still plans to attend the fundraiser, the people said.
Clooney has supported Democratic candidates and causes in the past. In 2020, he donated more than $500,000 to Biden’s campaign and co-hosted a fundraiser for him that raised $7 million.
Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, announced on May 20 he was seeking to charge Netanyahu, Gallant, Hamas leader Yehiya Sinwar and two other top Hamas leaders with war crimes and crimes against humanity, per the Post.
Amal Clooney, an international human rights lawyer, said the prosecutor’s office enlisted her to help with the investigation. She was asked to review evidence of suspected war crimes and provide legal analysis.
“I do not accept that any conflict should be beyond the reach of the law, nor that any perpetrator should be above the law,” Amal Clooney wrote in a statement. “So 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.”
