News
Israel says NGOs pushing Palestinians towards ICC damages peace process
Prominent human rights organisations yesterday urged the Palestinian Authority (PA) to turn to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for redress against Israel. An Israeli official underlined that such a move would damage the prospects of peace.
The letter, which was sent to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, was signed by 17 organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. It said that “promptly” joining the ICC would help provide accountability for Israeli attacks against Palestinians and settlement activity, adding that, “Seeking the ICC’s jurisdiction over serious crimes committed on Palestinian territory should … be seen as an apolitical step towards ending impunity.”
Both Israel and the United States have long been opposed to the PA taking unilateral action to join international bodies, especially the ICC, as it is viewed as a method to by-pass bilateral talks between Israel and the PA. Both voted against recognizing the Palestinians as a United Nations non-member observer state in 2012. In a speech last night, US special envoy to peace talks between Israel and the PA, Martin Indyk said that in “signing accession letters to 15 international treaties” last month, the PA’s actions had been “particularly counterproductive” towards efforts to reach a peace agreement.
In similar vein, in response to yesterday’s letter, Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that the gesture was both naïve and would undermine peace efforts. He said, “There’s very little human rights in all this,” suggesting that the NGOs involved were merely “fighting for the amusement of the crowds” rather than helping in “the arduous and difficult road of trying to negotiate a compromise.”
Earlier this week, former ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo warned that while the PA is eligible to join the ICC, such a move could backfire. He explained that it may lead to Palestinians, including Hamas, which recently agreed to form a unity government with Abbas’ Fatah faction, being prosecuted for bombings and rocket fire against Israelis.