Israel rejects the decision of the
International Criminal Court (ICC) on jurisdiction in the Palestinian case.Israel is not a Party to the ICC and has
not consented to its jurisdiction. Only sovereign States can delegate
jurisdiction to the Court, and there is not, nor has there ever been, a
Palestinian state.
The Court in The Hague was established to
confront mass atrocities that deeply shock the conscience of humanity; not to
pursue democratic states with independent and effective legal systems. By this decision,
the Court has unfortunately succumbed to politicization, violated its mandate
and allowed itself to be dragged into a political conflict, making misguided
determinations on issues over which it has no authority, and which the parties
themselves have agreed must be resolved by direct negotiations.
With this decision, the Court has not only
gravely harmed its legitimacy, it has inevitably contributed to the
polarization between the parties, distancing them further from the very
dialogue that is so necessary to resolve the conflict between them. This, at a
rare moment of opportunity for progress that has been created by the recent
historic normalization agreements in the region, and the renewal of
Israeli-Palestinian coordination. This unwarranted intervention by a foreign
court effectively rewards the Palestinian refusal to return to negotiations,
plays into the hands of extremists, and turns the Court into a tool of
anti-Israel propaganda.
The State of Israel is a democracy
committed to the rule of law and international justice. Israel will take all
necessary measures to protect its citizens and soldiers from this illegitimate
decision by a Court which has proved itself today to be a political body, not a
judicial institution.
We call on all States who value the
international legal system, and seek to protect it from politicization, to
oppose this decision and not cooperate with it.