U.S. Statement on ICC Inquiry into Possible War Crimes

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Fri Jan 16, 2015 at 10:48:06 PM EST
Tags: Israel, Palestinians, ICC, Hamas (all tags)

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From the State Department on the International Court announcement it will open open an inquiry into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories, beginning with actions of Israel and Hamas militants last summer.

We strongly disagree with the ICC Prosecutor's action today. As we have said repeatedly, we do not believe that Palestine is a state and therefore we do not believe that it is eligible to join the ICC. It is a tragic irony that Israel, which has withstood thousands of terrorist rockets fired at its civilians and its neighborhoods, is now being scrutinized by the ICC. The place to resolve the differences between the parties is through direct negotiations, not unilateral actions by either side. We will continue to oppose actions against Israel at the ICC as counterproductive to the cause of peace.

Reuters reports:

This allows the court to delve into the war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza in July-August 2014.

Please keep your comments civil. Opinions on both sides are fine, so long as they are expressed without venomous attacks on Israelis or the Palestinians, and without ridicule of other commenters who don't share your view.

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U.S. Statement on ICC Inquiry into Possible War Crimes | 12 comments (12 topical)

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What Other Countries Agree With the US Position? (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by RickyJim on Sat Jan 17, 2015 at 09:28:03 AM EST

I guess that the 135 UN countries that recognize Palestine as a state don't.

Exactly (5.00 / 3) (#5)
by bmaz on Sat Jan 17, 2015 at 05:35:50 PM EST

I guess I don't have a lot to say if I cannot use the words I want to describe the ignorance and hypocrisy of the US position here.


: All Jeralyn asked was (none / 0) (#9)
by NYShooter on Sun Jan 18, 2015 at 09:15:13 PM EST

for everyone to keep it civil.
You can't state your case under those rules?

and a fat lot of good that's done them. (2.00 / 1) (#6)
by cpinva on Sat Jan 17, 2015 at 05:47:05 PM EST

"I guess that the 135 UN countries that recognize Palestine as a state don't."

because most of those countries can offer them little in the way of tangible help, just their good wishes. that, and 50 cents, will get you a small coffee at McD's.

at some point, maybe the Palestinians and their leadership will recognize that the jews have a much longer historical claim to the area than they do, and agree that Israel has a right to exist. at that point, real negotiating can begin, with the proviso that the local government drop-kick the terrorists out of the area, and stop providing support for them. until then, it's hard to chide Israel for doing the exact same thing any other country would do, if constantly threatened and attacked. the west bank colonies should be forcefully demolished, and the Israeli's who built them should be told either to go back to Israel proper, or they're on their own.


Stop Asserting Stuff You Can't Prove (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by RickyJim on Sat Jan 17, 2015 at 07:45:51 PM EST

Palestinians and their leadership will recognize that the jews have a much longer historical claim to the area than they do

BS. Genetic research shows that Jews are genetically close to other Middle Eastern people through their male line but the origins of the female line, say of the Ashkenazim, were in central Europe. The Palestinians are purer Middle Eastern. And if you look at the bible, there were plenty of non Jewish people, like Philistines and Edomites, living in what is now Israel, Gaza and the West Bank in ancient times. I find no good reason why Israel can not be the homeland for more than one ethnic group.


So it comes down to the pure (none / 0) (#8)
by Militarytracy on Sun Jan 18, 2015 at 08:05:10 PM EST

Of genes?

This always happens to the Jews

It would just be nice if that could stop happening


"This always happens to the Jews" (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by NYShooter on Sun Jan 18, 2015 at 09:47:05 PM EST

And, only the Jews, Tracy.

International organizations have really exhibited their fairness on these types of issues when it comes to Israel, and the Jews.

For instance, take the United Nations Human Rights Council as just one example.

With .001% of the world's population Israel has been the subject of fully one third of all country-specific resolutions by that supreme arbiter of Human Rights. In fact, Israel is the ONLY country they have specifically condemned. And, to put an irrefutably fine point to their fairness, they have condemned this tiny speck of sand more times than ALL other countries combined.

But, just to show they're not completely one sided, they did express "concern" over Sudan's genocide in Darfur (500,000 murdered 2,500,000 displaced.) Of course, beyond muttering, "tsk, tsk, tsk," they did absolutely nothing.

So, yes, by all means, let's have the ICC arbitrate Israel's supposed malfeasance.

What could possibly go wrong?


: I agree (none / 0) (#11)
by Militarytracy on Mon Jan 19, 2015 at 10:13:24 AM EST

Israel is held to level of accountability that nobody else in the world is, to include the United States.
This is because Israel cares :). It really is. If Israel took the position of telling everyone to kiss it, invade us if you don't like what we do (like the US did with invading Iraq and other NATO members have silently implied in the recent past), everyone constantly demanding investigations for malfeasance would be called war mongers :)

Two semitic peoples.... (5.00 / 2) (#4)
by Dadler on Sat Jan 17, 2015 at 04:01:38 PM EST

...Same God, different names. Such a tragedy. May Israel smarten up a tad and realize, the only thing they can really do at this point is treat their second-class citizens, and that's how they are treated, as first class. And treat them more equitably and fairly than anyone EVER has. Tall order, but short of mutual annihilation, goodness is all we have.

An interesting point by a Muslim (none / 0) (#1)
by oculus on Fri Jan 16, 2015 at 11:14:45 PM EST

cleric in a French town regarding young men from there joining jihad. He points out no one objects to people helping the Israelis.

NYT

: there is a reason for this. (5.00 / 4) (#2)
by cpinva on Fri Jan 16, 2015 at 11:33:26 PM EST

when the "jihadi's" start wearing uniforms to specifically identify themselves as legitimate enemy combatants, engaged in a declared war against Israel, or whoever, then they will get the same level of recognition and respect as Israeli forces do. whether or not you agree with Israel's actions (and I often don't), they are up front about it, they don't hide behind women, children and old men.
if all the countries the Islamic terrorists have attacked actually followed the Geneva conventions to the letter, they would be well within their legal rights to summarily execute every captured "jihadi", on the spot, who bore arms against them. fortunately, they don't, while the "jihadi's" have been known to, even of uniformed soldiers, captured during fighting.
the imam may not like my answer, but there it is. perhaps, he could use his influence to convince these young men to join a more respectable "resistance" organization, that avoided killing/wounding innocent bystanders, and honored the internationally accepted rules of war. until they do, they will be treated, and by extension, their cause, as second tier.
frankly, I was kind of hoping they'd announced they were going to investigate possible war crimes by the Bush administration. one can always hope.

SITE VIOLATOR (none / 0) (#13)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 16, 2015 at 07:33:25 AM EST