'ICC war crimes investigation against Israel will have consequences,' US warns
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday warned the
International Criminal Court against asserting jurisdiction over Israel, saying
the United States will "exact consequences" for any
"illegitimate" investigations.
Israel is not signatory to the Rome Statute from which the
ICC draws its power. The Palestinian Authority joined it in 2015 with the
explicit aim of trying to have The Hague prosecute Israeli officials for
alleged war crimes.
The ICC's recent decision to accept "Palestine" as
a state with the status to file a complaint could lead to a potential
investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. Last month ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda decided that the decision
on whether to launch a full-scale investigation into alleged war crimes by
Israel will be delayed until June, as the ICC has suspended its actions over
the coronavirus pandemic.
"The International Criminal Court is a political body,
not a judicial institution. This unfortunate reality has been confirmed yet
again by the ICC Prosecutor's attempt to assert jurisdiction over Israel, which
like the United States, is not a party to the Rome Statute that created the
Court," Pompeo said in a statement.
"As we made clear when the Palestinians purported to
join the Rome Statute, we do not believe the Palestinians qualify as a sovereign
state, and they, therefore, are not qualified to obtain full membership, or
participate as a state in international organizations, entities, or
conferences, including the ICC.
"The United States reiterates its longstanding
objection to any illegitimate ICC investigations. If the ICC continues down its
current course, we will exact consequences," he concluded.
The question of jurisdiction is key as The Hague only has
power over countries that are signatory to the Rome Statute.
Since early 2020 a large number of countries, NGOs and
world-renowned jurists have filed legal briefs taking either Israel's or the
PA's side in the controversy.
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