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International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction over Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says top IDF lawyer

“Israel is a law-abiding state, with a strong and independent legal system, and there is no reason why it should be subject to the examination of the court,” said the IDF’s advocate general.

By World Israel News Staff 

“Israel’s position is that the International Criminal Court (ICC) does not have jurisdiction to deal with issues stemming from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Maj. Gen. Sharon Afek, Israel’s military advocate general, said Tuesday.

His comments, at an international conference in Herzliya on the laws of combat, were in response to repeated Palestinian Authority (PA) suits filed with the ICC against Israel.

“Israel is a law-abiding state, with a strong and independent legal system, and there is no reason why it should be subject to the examination of the [ICC],” said Afek.

Last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the decision of the ICC  to reject a petition to investigate U.S. soldiers who served in Afghanistan. “To come and put on trial U.S. or Israeli soldiers, or the State of Israel or the U.S., is absurd. It is the opposite of the original goal of the international court,” he said.

“The Palestinian Authority pushes for the advancement of processes against Israel at the International Criminal Court as part of a legitimacy and illegitimacy campaign,” said the advocate general. “We view these efforts as an additional attempt to achieve political goals,” he added.

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“As expected, the U.N. Human Rights Council established another commission of inquiry against Israel, this time on the events at the Gazan border and issued a report,” Afek said, charging that the council is “known for its leanings against Israel.”

The U.S. has pulled out of the Human Rights Council, citing its bias against Israel as a key reason.

“Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are aware of the potential” of such international investigations against Israel “and push for them,” said the advocate general.