Palestine condemns Boris Johnson for opposing ICC Israel investigation msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said London opposes the International Criminal Court’s decision to probe Israel for possible war crimes.
In a letter to Conservative Friends of Israel, Johnson said: “We do not accept that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance, given that Israel is not a party to the Statute of Rome and Palestine is not a sovereign state.”
He added that the decision “gives the impression of being a prejudicial attack” on the Jewish state.
The Palestinian Authority reacts angrily. In a statement, the PA’s mission in London says the statement “marks a low point in UK-Palestine relations and undermines the UK’s credibility on the international stage.”
Palestine Mission to the UK deeply regrets Premier Johnson’s position on ICC probe in Palestine
Palestine Mission to the UK deeply regrets Premier Johnson’s position on ICC probe in Palestine
Israeli war on the Gaza Strip under probe by the ICC. (File photo)
LONDON, Wednesday, April 14, 2021 (WAFA) - The announcement by United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a letter to the Conservative Friends of Israel that the UK opposes the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into war crimes by Israel is deeply regrettable, said the Palestine Mission to the UK.
“It marks a low point in UK-Palestine relations and undermines the UK’s credibility on the international stage,” it said in a statement, adding, “The letter is a contradiction of international law. It is a contradiction of British policy. It subverts the rules-based global order. And it sets back efforts to secure a lasting and just peace in Palestine.”
“If Mr. Johnson disputes this, he disputes the legitimacy of the Court,” the Palestinian mission in London added.
In March, the ICC announced it would investigate possible war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinians following a request by the Palestinians, who joined the court in 2015 after being granted nonmember observer status in the UN General Assembly.
The International Criminal Court on Sunday, 24 September 2017 (Courtesy ICC)
Israel has fiercely condemned the investigation, accusing the ICC of bias, claiming that Israel is demonstrably capable of investigating any alleged IDF crimes through its own legal hierarchies, and saying the ICC has no jurisdiction since the Palestinians do not have a state. Israel is not a member of the ICC, but its citizens could be subject to arrest abroad if warrants are issued.
Palestine mission: UK PM’s failure to back ICC probe into Israel war crimes ‘regrettable’ – Middle East Monitor middleeastmonitor.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from middleeastmonitor.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.