With Trump gone, ICC now ready for war crime probe against Israel

The ICC has declared their jurisdiction extends over the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, thus prepared to now open a war crimes probe into Israeli’s military actions.
– Netanyahu slams UN court, saying, “the court has violated the rights of democracies to defend themselves against terrorism.”

By the Associated Press, Ynet

 

The International Criminal Court said Friday that its jurisdiction extends to territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, appearing to clear the way for its chief prosecutor to open a war crimes probe into Israeli military actions.

The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said in 2019 that there was a “reasonable basis” to open a war crimes probe into Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip as well as Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. But she asked the court determine whether she has territorial jurisdiction before proceeding with the case.

Fatou Bensouda of the ICC – Photo/ Wikimedia Commons

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the ICC’s decision and instructed his Cabinet not to comment on the issue publicly.

“Today, the court has proven once again that it’s a political body and not a judicial institution,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “The court is ignoring real war crimes and is persecuting the State of Israel instead, a country with a strong democratic regime, which sanctifies the rule of law, and is not a member of the court.

“With this decision, the court has violated the rights of democracies to defend themselves against terrorism, and played into the hands of those who undermine efforts to expand the circle of peace. We will continue to protect our citizens and soldiers in every way from legal persecution.”

The Palestinians, who joined the court in 2015, have pushed for the case.

Israel, which is not a member of the ICC, has said the court has no jurisdiction because the Palestinians do not have statehood and because the borders of any future state are to be decided in peace talks.

The Palestinians have asked the court to look into Israeli actions during its 2014 war against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, as well as Israel’s construction of settlements in the West Bank and annexed East Jerusalem.

The international community widely considers the settlements to be illegal under international law but has done little to pressure Israel to freeze or reverse their growth.

The international tribunal is meant to serve as a court of last resort when countries’ own judicial systems are insufficient to investigate and prosecute war crimes.

The IDF has mechanisms to investigate alleged wrongdoing by its troops, and despite criticism that the system is insufficient, experts say it has a good chance of fending off the ICC investigation into its wartime practices.

When it comes to settlements, however, experts say Israel could have a difficult time defending its actions. International law forbids the transfer of a civilian population into occupied territory.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem from Jordan and Egypt in the 1967 war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state.

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Some 700,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Palestinians and much of the international community view the settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace.

While the court would have a hard time prosecuting Israelis, it could issue arrest warrants that would make it difficult for Israeli officials to travel abroad. A case in the ICC would also be deeply embarrassing to the government.

The ICC could also potentially investigate crimes committed by Palestinian militants, including the firing of rockets at civilian areas by Gaza’s Hamas rulers and other armed groups.

Nabil Shaath, a senior aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, welcomed the decision and said it proved the Palestinians were right to go to the ICC. “This is good news, and the next step is to launch an official investigation into Israel’s crimes against our people,” he said.

The three-judge panel ruled that Palestine is a state party to the Rome Statute establishing the ICC. With one judge dissenting, it ruled that Palestine qualifies as the state on the territory in which the “conduct in question” occurred and that the court’s jurisdiction extends to East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

Last year, the Trump administration imposed sanctions against ICC officials, including revoking Bensouda’s entry visa, in response to the court’s attempts to prosecute American troops for actions in Afghanistan.

The U.S., like Israel, does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction. At the time, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the steps were meant as retribution for investigations into the United States and its allies, a reference to Israel.

The Biden administration has said it will review those sanctions.

 

View original Ynet publication at:
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SkPryQjxO

 

 

In our humble opinion…

What’s necessary is that the Israeli gov’t (including Gantz who seems to always be ‘anti-Netanyahu’) make a united public statement to the International Criminal Court saying something to the effect of:

Since the State of Israel is not a member of the Rome Statute, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority. So, no member of the ICC, nor any ICC representative, will be allowed to enter Israel, or its territories, until the court officially drops its case against the Jewish State on the grounds that it recognizes the fact that they have no jurisdiction over non-member states.’

What the International Criminal Court can investigate is
the PLO, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for:

1) their exploitation of civilians as ‘Human shields’

Nefarious Gaza medic proudly admits to being a Human Shield to protect jihadists attacking the IDF.- Screenshot: Twitter

OR

Palestinians in Gaza train using children as ‘Human Shields’ – screenshot

 

2) their incitement to violence with state payments of monthly stipends in perpetuity

PA Pay to Slay Pricelist – PMW

So…

How is ‘Pay to Slay’ not a war-crime? – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rewards terrorists with state-funded, highly generous lifetime monthly stipends, incrementally based on the number of Israeli Jews they murdered.

 

3) their continued funding of terrorism

Funds for Bus bombing at Megiddo Junction in 2002 was transferred to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad – Photo: IDF blog

OR…

Funds for 2004 Bus bombing in Jerusalem was transferred to the Fatah’s Al Aqsa Brigade group. – Photo: IDF blog

 

4) constant ‘Acts of War’ by firing rockets, mortars and balloon incendiary devices into Israeli towns & cities to mass-murder as many Israelis as possible.

Screenshot from he Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency showing rockets fired into Israel from Gaza on 5 May 2019. – Screenshot: Twitter/IDF

and…

Gaza launched balloons with incendiary devices attached, land by homes. – Photo courtesy: Israel Police Spokesperson’s Division

 

There is most definitely something morally rotten & judicially corrupt with the decision makers of the ICC.

All the above is universally known and well documented, but ignored by those who should be seeking justice….and especially sad since their mandate was born out of the ‘Jewish ashes’ when in 1950 the United Nations General Assembly recognized the need for a permanent international court to deal with atrocities such as the Holocaust.

 

 

 

ISRAEL

‘as a light unto the nations’