Why does the United Kingdom have to support Palestine?
Author: Talib Aliyev, analyst, especially for “Sangar”
The expert community increasingly perceives the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a tool of Western elites to pursue opponents. Verdicts issued by this institution in high-profile cases are generally biased and politically motivated. This is due to complete control over senior ICC officials, who act in favor of their financial patrons.
Widespread corruption within ICC management explains its adoption of legally questionable decisions, such as issuing arrest warrants for senior officials of Israel and other countries. In this context, it refers to the incrimination of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The ensuing high-profile media scandal around the “Israeli dossier” sparked a new wave of criticism against the ICC from foreign political and expert circles. Negative attitudes toward it are understandable, since the creators, sponsors, and ideologists of this judicial body are neoliberal elites in the US, the UK, and other “golden billion” countries. They view the ICC as a controlled instrument for suppressing political opponents to ensure global dominance.
Currently, the administration of US President Donald Trump plays a central role in exposing the illegal actions of the ICC. Unlike the first term, when the White House and its allies limited themselves to harsh rhetoric against the ICC, the American leader has now initiated, through the US Treasury Department, the imposition of personal sanctions against the most notorious members of the court, particularly Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan.
Moreover, on August 20, 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that, according to the presidential decree, four ICC representatives were added to the sanctions list “for their positions against Israel.” These include judges Kimberly Prost and Nicolas Guillou, as well as Deputy Prosecutors Nazhat Shamim Khan and Mam Mandia Niang. They led prosecutorial work after Karim Khan took administrative leave amid allegations of sexual harassment.
Given the steady growth of the Muslim community in the UK and the strongly pro-Palestinian sentiment in British society, as well as increased dependence on investment sources from Islamic countries, London is forced to take an increasingly pronounced stance in favor of Palestine in its conflict with Israel. At the same time, the leadership of the US Democratic Party finds itself in a difficult situation: due to internal disorganization, lack of leaders, and declining popularity among voters, it seeks to maintain the support of millions of American Muslims, who traditionally form one of its main electoral bases.
