Euro-Med Monitor: Israel’s Refusal to Cooperate with ICC is Indirect Admission of War Crimes

April 9, 2021 Blog, News
The International Criminal Court in The Hague. (Photo: via ICC Website)

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to refuse cooperation with the International Criminal Court following the latter’s announcement in March on opening an investigation into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

In a press statement, Euro-Med Monitor said it “believes that the Israeli decision stems from its knowledge that the Israeli army had committed violations that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, which explains their attempts to not cooperate with any international investigations and avoid accountability.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel considers that the International Criminal Court has no authority to initiate an investigation against it. Therefore, his government had agreed “to not cooperate” with the ICC.

Netanyahu headed a session of consultations to formulate Israel’s final position on this issue, with heads of the political, security and judicial departments. The senior ministers and officials decided to provide the ICC with a short response as possible. The Israeli decision was approved by the “Minister of Defense” Benny Gantz, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor had issued a decision on March 3, 2021, to start an official investigation into the alleged crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since June 13, 2014, which states that Israel is suspected of committing war crimes.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor called on the International Criminal Court to initiate investigations and not to yield to any political pressures or allow the parties involved to evade responsibility. Euro-Med Monitor also called for the need to find mechanisms to achieve justice for victims of violations and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Euro-Med Monitor urged the European Union to support the ICC’s investigation and ensure the protection of lawyers, witnesses, civil society activists involved in the probe, and those collecting relevant information.

(WAFA, PC, Social Media)

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