REPORT: The Palestinian Authority Sends Israel Ultimatum to Stop ICC Probe

‘Carrot & the Stick’ – PA official says Abbas would withdraw war crimes petition at the ICC if Israel stops building ‘settlements’ – and if refused, they will halt all security coordination with Israel.

By Tova Dvorin

 

The Palestinian Authority (PA) may have moved forward with its attempt to prosecute Israel for “war crimes” in the International Criminal Court (ICC) – but it would drop the case if Israel stopped building Jewish communities in Judea-Samaria, a PA official close to Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday.

The senior official, speaking from Ramallah to Walla! News on condition of anonymity, said that the PA has announced the ultimatum through Jordan and Egypt.

He added that if Israel did not unfreeze the tax revenues owed to the PA, all security coordination with Israel would cease. Israel froze the revenues as a penalty for the PA’s ICC bid, halting the transfer of approximately $127 million to Ramallah.

“The first step will be halting arrests [over Israeli security issues – ed.] made on our part,” the official said. The PA uses Israeli intelligence to stop terrorism within its borders.

Abbas has threatened to halt security coordination with Israel before.

Last month, Ziad Abu Ein, 55, a convicted terrorist who previously held the post of PA Deputy Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, died of a heart attack during riots against the IDF.

Arab media claimed Abu Ein died after being “beaten” by IDF soldiers, but footage from the event proves that he remained untouched during his heart attack – and refused IDF assistance that could have been life-saving. Autopsies later confirmed that Abu Ein died from natural causes.

Abbas immediately declared intent to halt security coordination with Israel over the incident, and announced that he would hold a series of talks within the PLO on the issue – all of which were eventually postponed.

Israeli officials stated in the wake of the threats that Abbas is conveniently forgetting that the IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet) is the sole protection Abbas has from Hamas. A major coup against Abbas was busted by Israel in August.

 

View original Arutz Sheva publication at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190095#.VLuG5C6kE8I