Israel’s attorney general condemns ICC decision as ‘discrediting its legitimacy’

Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, condemned the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to open a formal probe into Israeli war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying it “discredits its legitimacy.”

“The decision of prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open an investigation against the State of Israel, a democratic and law-abiding nation, discredits the legitimacy of the work of the ICC,” he claimed.

Mandelblit also assured that the Israeli legal body was following developments closely and that they were “ready to face any possible development before the Court.”

“In their decision… the judges decided to ignore serious legal arguments presented to them,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also slammed the ICC decision, calling it “pure antisemitism.”

The biased International Criminal Court in The Hague reached a decision that is pure antisemitism,” Netanyahu said.

“It decided that our brave and moral soldiers that fight against the cruel terrorists are the terrorists,” he continued. “It decided that when we build a house in our eternal capital, Jerusalem, it is a war crime.”

Israeli president Reuven Rivlin called the decision a “scandalous” decision and added that Israel is “proud of its soldiers, our sons and daughters… who keep watch over their land.”

Rivlin said, “We will all be on guard to ensure they will not be harmed due to this decision.”

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the ruling is a political attempt by ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to “try and set priorities” for her incoming successor, Karim Khan.

“The decision by the ICC chief prosecutor to open an investigation is an act of moral and legal bankruptcy. It is a political decision that turns the court into a tool in the hands of extremists who back terrorist organizations and antisemitic bodies,” he said.

New Hope head Gideon Sa’ar called the decision “despicable.”

He said, “The ICC has allowed itself to be hijacked by sponsors of terror. This is a shameful day for the cause of justice. A government led by me will work with our allies and friends around the world to defend our moral army, and brave soldiers who risk their lives to keep us safe.”

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda said on Wednesday 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.

The prosecutor said that the Office will determine the “priorities concerning the investigation in due time, “in light of the operational challenges the office confronts from COVID-19, and the limited resources available to the office, and the current heavy workload.