ICC probe in Palestinian territories faces some pitfalls
Analysis: The International Criminal Court does not have unlimited funds and may not want to risk taking on such a lengthy, high-profile and politically charged case, knowing that there is no consensus that it has the jurisdiction to move forward
Mike Wagenheim / The Media Line |
Published: 03.06.21 , 18:25
Last month’s ruling by the International Criminal Court that it has jurisdiction over the disputed West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem set off a thunderstorm of reaction through the international community.
And Wednesday’s confirmation by ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda that she is moving forward with her investigation is generating a new maelstrom.
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It’s the Zionism, stupid
I know David Miller, I was the vice chair of Labour Against the Witchhunt and I can say, hand on heart, that David doesn’t have a racist or antisemitic bone in his body.
The Union of Jewish Students is a body that I and other socialist students wouldn’t have gone a mile near. It is affiliated to the World Zionist Organization, it has defense and support of Zionism and Israel as a Jewish State in its constitution.
If we want to talk about genuine antisemitism then lets talk about Israel’s relationship with antisemitic regimes in the Videgrad Group, people like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Or the support of Israel by former President Donald Trump and the American far right like Richard Spencer or Britain’s own Tommy Robinson.
Prime Minister Netanyahu called the decision the essence of antisemitism, an interpretation that was adopted by several politicians on the right of Israel s political spectrum.
Other political figures, including Israel s president, also expressed outrage at the decision, insisting that Israel s army - the most moral army in the world, many were keen to recall - was able to investigate itself, and that this move was politically motivated.
The Palestinian Authority on Thursday said the hysteria behind Israel s public reactions were a proof that Israel was afraid of the proceedings. The attempt to define the decision as antisemitic is an example of Israeli defiance, also evident in its settlement enterprise, a statement by the Palestinian foreign ministry said.