Israeli President calls on France to oppose ICC’s decision of war crimes probe

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called on France to oppose the decision of the International Criminal Court(ICC) to initiate a formal probe against ‘Israelis’ for war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Ahead of his visit to France and a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, Rivlin urged the French President to reject the ICC’s decision, claiming it’s a “dreadful misapplication of international law.”

“When I meet President Macron today, we will do so not only as friends, but also as heads of states who enjoy excellent, deeply-rooted bilateral relations,” wrote Rivlin in an op-ed column published on Thursday in Le Figaro.

Rivlin said that the strong relationship between ‘Israel’ and France will allow both presidents to discuss this “concerning” matter as friends, and they will be both “committed to hearing each other in order to better understand each other’s perspectives, motivations and decisions.”

“Our countries cooperate on a wide range of issues, including security, counter-terrorism, science and technology, culture and academic exchanges,” Rivlin wrote.

“The decision by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court [ICC] to investigate Israel for possible war crimes is a dreadful misapplication of international law,” he claimed, adding that “A court established to deal with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community is being used a political weapon. It is a morally and legally bankrupt decision.”

“We are deeply committed to the theory and the practice of ensuring that war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity are never allowed to go unpunished because domestic legal systems are unwilling or unable to prosecute individuals responsible for them.”

Rivlin also claimed that international law should not be politicized, referring to the ICC’s decision.

“We have seen the damage that has been caused to other international bodies, such as the UN’s Human Rights Council, by those who seek only to harness them for political gain,” he said.

“Those who sacrifice human rights for political gain will do the same to international law. We must be vigilant and united in stopping them.”

At the end of the article, Rivlin considered the “damage” that the ICC’s decision is likely to have on the chances of resuming negotiations between ‘Israel’ and the Palestinians.

“Until the Court concludes its investigation, which could take several years, it is hard to see the two sides engaging in serious negotiations,” Rivlin wrote.

Recalling normalization deals signed between ‘Israel’ and Arab countries, Rivlin claimed the ICC decision is an act of perverse logic – and that one of its consequences could be that it will make it even harder for Israelis and Palestinians to find common ground.

“I call on friends of Israel and the Palestinians, in France and beyond, to state clearly, once and for all, that the road to peace runs directly between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Detours via the ICC in the Hague and the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva are counterproductive to the cause of peace and undermine the chances of an agreement between us,” Rivlin concluded.

Israeli Channel 13 reported on Wednesday that ‘Israel’ received a letter from the ICC formally detailing the scope of its war crimes investigation against ‘Israel’.

According to the report, the letter arrived over the weekend and the National Security Council has already met to begin formulating Israel’s response.

The report said the brief one-and-a-half page letter briefly laid out the three main areas it intends to cover: the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, Israeli settlement policy, and the 2018 Great March of Return protests that left hundreds of Palestinians dead.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda said recently that she launched a formal probe into war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“The investigation will cover crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court that are alleged to have been committed in the Situation since 13 June 2014, the date to which reference is made in the Referral of the Situation to my Office,” she added.

Riyad al-Maliki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, met on Thursday the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda, in The Hague, as part of ongoing collaboration with the Court regarding the opening of a formal probe into the Situation in Palestine.

Palestinians have welcomed the decision as a chance for justice for victims of Israeli attacks.

“The Palestinian people and its leadership are eagerly looking forward to the efforts of the International Criminal Court to fulfill the duties entrusted to it under the Rome Statute, to protect the interests of the victims and prevent impunity,” said the Foreign Minister.

Palestine has asked the court to look into Israeli war crimes during its 2014 war against the Gaza Strip, when the Israelis killed 2147 Palestinians including women and children, and wounded 10870 others, as well as Israel’s construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem. Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.

‘Israel’ is not a member of the court and rejects its jurisdiction, a position backed by its close ally the United States and other countries who are members of the ICC, including Canada, Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Austria, and Lithuania.