Israel on Sunday lambasted the International Criminal Court’s decision to launch an inquiry into possible war crimes committed against Palestinians as “hypocrisy”, vowing that it would not allow its soldiers to be put to trial at the ICC. “We will defend Israel’s right to defend itself, and not allow IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers to be tried by an international tribunal,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet at its weekly meeting.
Characterising the ICC’s decision to begin a preliminary investigation as the “height of hypocrisy and the opposite of justice,” Netanyahu said that as a former UN ambassador and as Prime Minister he had encountered hypocritical acts in the past, but this decision is “in a category of its own”. “This gives international cover to international terror,” he emphasised. He also stressed that the Jewish State will enlist the support of other countries to fight against the ICC’s decision.
The issue is expected to be a major focus of Netanyahu’s discussions over the next two days with visiting dignitaries including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Canadian foreign Minister John Baird, and a nine-member US Senate delegation headed by Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain.