The International Criminal Court has opened a formal investigation into war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda confirmed on Wednesday.

Bensouda’s announcement was welcomed as “a historic day in the decades-long Palestinian campaign for international justice and accountability” by Palestinian human rights groups leading those efforts.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will likely be subjected to ICC scrutiny, branded the investigation as “the essence of anti-Semitism.”

The ICC’s announcement of an investigation came less than a month after a panel of judges confirmed that the court’s territorial jurisdiction extends to the Palestinian territories under Israeli military occupation.

In December 2019, Bensouda concluded a lengthy preliminary investigation, stating that criteria for war crimes investigations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip had been met.

The ICC investigation will cover crimes committed since June 2014, when the situation in Palestine was referred to the international tribunal.

“Obliged to act”

Bensouda stated that her office “will set priorities” for the investigation “in light of the operational challenges we confront from the pandemic, the limited resources we have available to us, and our current heavy workload.”

She added that in situations in which the prosecutor determines a reasonable basis to investigate, the prosecutor’s office “is obliged to act.”

The court’s next step will be to notify Israel and the Palestinian authorities, permitting each state party to conduct relevant investigations “of its own nationals or others within its jurisdiction” in relation to crimes that fall under the ICC’s mandate.

The ICC defers to a country’s internal investigations, where they exist, under the principle of complementarity which holds that “states have the first responsibility and right to prosecute international crimes.”

Israel has a self-investigation system – albeit one described by B’Tselem, a leading human rights group in the country, as a whitewashing mechanism that insulates the military and political leadership from accountability.

She had, however, “concluded that the potential cases concerning crimes allegedly committed by members of Hamas and PAGs [Palestinian armed groups] would currently be admissible.”

In her statement on Wednesday, Bensouda said that the assessment of complementarity “will remain ongoing” and she suggested that the matter may be deliberated by a panel of judges in a pre-trial chamber.

Given that Israel’s settlement enterprise in the West Bank is unambiguously state policy backed by its highest-ranking members of government, it will likely be a primary focus of the ICC’s probe.

“Utmost urgency”

Welcoming Bensouda’s announcement on Wednesday, Palestinian human rights groups urged “that there be no undue delay, and that the utmost urgency be brought to bear.”

But Bensouda set an expectation for less than expeditious proceedings, stating that “investigations take time and they must be grounded objectively in facts and law.”

She urged patience from “Palestinian and Israeli victims and affected communities,” adding that “the ICC is not a panacea.”

Alluding to an argument made by Israel’s allies that an investigation would jeopardize future bilateral negotiations, Bensouda said that “the pursuit of peace and justice should be seen as mutually reinforcing imperatives.”

Netanyahu’s election campaign promises to annex West Bank land was mentioned by Bensouda in her request to the pre-trial chamber on territorial jurisdiction.

Israeli officials claim that some ICC member states “have agreed to give advance warning to Israel of any intent to arrest” its citizens upon arrival to their countries.

Providing tip-offs that could allow suspects to escape investigation or arrest would likely violate the obligations that member states have under the ICC’s founding Rome Statute to cooperate with the court’s work.

Political pressure

On Wednesday, Bensouda said that “we count on the support and cooperation of the parties [Israel and Palestinian armed groups], as well as all States Parties to the Rome Statute.”

The ICC, however, will come under tremendous political pressure as powerful states like the US, Canada and Australia oppose any investigation of their ally Israel.

Last year, Canada made a thinly veiled threat to withdraw financial support to the ICC should it proceed with an investigation.

The Trump administration in Washington imposed economic sanctions and visa restrictions on Bensouda and members of her staff.

The extreme measures put the court personnel in the company of “terrorists and narcotics traffickers” or individuals and groups working on behalf of countries sanctioned by the US.

While President Joe Biden has signed a flurry of executive orders reversing measures by his predecessor, the new US leader has allowed the ICC sanctions to remain in place.

Amid pressure to lift the sanctions, the White House is promising only to “thoroughly review them.”

Israel has meanwhile directed its vitriol at Palestinian human rights defenders, particularly those engaged with international justice mechanisms like the ICC.

Its tactics have included “arbitrary arrests, travel bans and residency revocations, as well as attacks on Palestinian human rights organizations, including raids.”

Balkees Jarrah, an associate director at Human Rights Watch, stated on Wednesday that “ICC member countries should stand ready to fiercely protect the court’s work from any political pressure.”

Jarrah added that “all eyes will also be on the next prosecutor Karim Khan to pick up the baton and expeditiously move forward while demonstrating firm independence in seeking to hold even the most powerful to account.”

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Comments

ICC

Permalink Frank Dallas replied on Thu, 03/04/2021 - 20:33

The essence of anti-Semitism. As Bensouda says, it's a matter of facts and law. As Netanyahu lives in fantasy and Israel breaks international law every day, you can see why he equates justice with anti-Semitism. Let's see if the ICC can withstand the pressure. International gangsterism will do all it can to prevent the truth coming to light and the guilty being brought to heel. For gangsterism is what rules. Gangsters use violence to gain loot and secure their territory. Sounds like US foreign policy to me. Karim Khan will have every vile accusation thrown at him. He's a tough advocate but they'll make his life hell. And as Bensouda points out, the law does not move quickly. "The law's delay, the insolence of office..." Let's hope the delay doesn't permit the insolence of Israeli control to wriggle free. They will not play fair. They will work night and day to discredit the ICC and everyone. concerned. Of course, it is not the only court Netanyahu faces. Such is the way of government. Has there every been one which wasn't more or less corrupt? Experience teaches that to grant power to small numbers of people leads to abuse of the majority, egotism, nest-feathering, pocket-lining...All government is regrettable but governments which rule over people who can't vote for them are despicable. The least we can have is democracy, but not in Israel. Israel fears democracy like it fears the rule of law. The ICC has taken on a culture of monstrous entitlement and mendacity. For all our sakes, let's hope it is allowed to carry out its work.

another step on the road

Permalink tom hall replied on Fri, 03/05/2021 - 14:47

I confess to a moderate degree of pessimism regarding the prospect of full scale prosecution by the ICC, but it's important to recognize that this is a concrete step towards holding Israel accountable for its persecution of the Palestinian people. If the process advances little further than the present stage affirming jurisdiction, we can at least take some comfort in the knowledge that the issue of Israeli war crimes coming before the court opens a fresh chapter in the struggle for justice. Whether the US, the EU and Israel succeed in thwarting this historic initiative, a new reading of international law will have come into being, and new applications can be pursued.

For the first time Israel has been directly included in formal procedures involving war crimes. The accumulation of such developments as the BDS campaign, the shift towards Palestine in the Democratic Party base, the recent determination by B'Tselem that Israel is an apartheid state, the successful fightback against laws criminalizing support for Palestinian rights, withdrawal of investments in Israel-complicit banks and industries by European pension funds, and the proliferation of alternative media providing real news about the situation in Israel/Palestine are other factors combining to chip away at Zionist impunity.

As I say, I'm pessimistic- but in an optimistic way.

US Executive order 13928

Permalink Tim Freeman replied on Fri, 03/05/2021 - 15:26

It galls me to see the Palestinian peoples being the pawns of Bibbi Netanyahu in his pact with US sanctions against these poor people. I accept that every country’s citizens have the right to defend themselves against attack by evil intent. Having said that, the arrogance of Israel’s settlers knows no bounds with their political pressure on the current fragile government within the Knesset. I am sure that the Israelis could yield a little to give a kick-start to Palestinians self-determination possibly overseen by countries via the UN to muster goodwill by all involved. These countries might include those not tainted by past events such as Eire or Switzerland or New Zealand and others. How you overcome the tribal/religious issues of Sunni, Shia and the many sects is the key to success. The treatment of the young and youth of both Israel and Palestine are being fermented with growing distrust in each generation, that widens the gaps needed to reach an accommodation to peaceful co-existence. The US could make a start by binning the Trump imposts, and, giving guarded help to the Palestinians. The issues of both Syria @ Iran gives credence to US support as a buffer these intractable issues. As an aside, you only need to see the film “The Lemon Tree” to understand the difficulties of these two peoples...BTW, l am not Anti-Semitic but feel it is acceptable to express a view without being seen as such.