This is an unusual split between Washington and one of its closest allies.

Japan has called the Trump administration’s sanctions against International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane and senior prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye “very unfortunate.” The U.S. imposed the sanctions after the ICC pursued cases involving Israeli officials, including an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The sanctions freeze any U.S.-held assets belonging to the targeted officials and cut them off from the American financial system. The ICC says the move threatens its judicial independence, while the U.S. argues the court is improperly targeting officials from countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction. 

The diplomatic fallout is notable because Japan has supported the ICC since joining it in 2007. Reuters reports that several European governments have also opposed Washington's latest actions, while the UN secretary-general has expressed serious concern. 

For Americans, the bigger question is whether this becomes another issue that creates friction between the U.S. and its traditional allies — and whether Washington's campaign against the ICC could ultimately weaken or reshape the international justice system.

Should the U.S. be able to sanction an international court that investigates American allies, or is Washington setting a dangerous precedent for international law?

Japan Just Broke With the U.S. Over Trump’s Sanctions on the International Criminal Court