In a letter to UN Sec.-Gen. Ban, Palestinians call Israel a “rogue state” & claim settlement expansion is a “war crime”

Australia & Brazil summon envoys over settlements.

UNITED NATIONS – The Palestinians accused Israel in a letter to the United Nations of planning to commit further “war crimes” by expanding Jewish settlements after the Palestinians won de facto UN recognition of statehood, and warned that Jerusalem must be held accountable.

PA President Abbas and Ban Ki-moon at the UN – Photo: Chip East/Reuters

In the letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council, the Palestinians said Israel was behaving “in a rogue, hostile and arrogant manner, contravening all principles and rules of international law and reacting with contempt to the will of the international community.”

After the UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinians’ status at the world body on Thursday from “observer entity” to “non-member state,” Israel said on Friday it would build 3,000 more settler homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem – areas Palestinians want for a future state, along with Gaza.

Approximately 500,000 Israelis and 2.5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

“A clear message must be sent to Israel that all of its illegal policies must be ceased or that it will be held accountable and will have to bear the consequences if its violations and obstruction of peace efforts,” Palestinian UN observer Riyad Mansour wrote in the letter dated Monday.

After winning the UN status upgrade, the Palestinians might now be granted access to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which prosecutes people for genocide, war crimes and other major human rights violations and where it could complain about Israel.

The Palestinians have said they will not rush to sign up to the International Criminal Court, but have warned that seeking action against Israel in the court would remain an option if Israel continued to build illegal settlements.

Prior to the UN vote, some Western nations unsuccessfully pushed for a Palestinian pledge not to pursue Israel in the ICC.

Brazil and Australia on Tuesday became the latest countries to summon their envoys over the Israeli plans.

The moves followed similar actions in Europe including Spain, France, Britain, Sweden and Denmark.

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=294596