Abbas
Signs Bid to Join ICC
President Mahmoud Abbas signs Rome Statute
to join International Criminal Court after
UNSC resolution fails to pass.
By Maan News
December 31, 2014 "ICH"
- RAMALLAH (AFP)
-- President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday signed
a Palestinian request to join the
International Criminal Court, seeking a new
avenue for action against Israel after a
failed UN resolution on ending the
occupation.
The Palestinian leadership hopes ICC
membership will pave the way for war crimes
prosecutions against Israeli officials for
their actions in the occupied territories.
But Israel said Palestinian crimes would be
exposed to the judgement of the Hague-based
court if Palestine joined.
Tuesday's vote at the Security Council came
after a three-month Palestinian campaign to
win support for a resolution that would have
set a timeframe for ending the Israeli
occupation.
Israel hailed the rejection as a victory,
saying it dealt a blow to Palestinian
efforts to diplomatically "embarrass and
isolate" Israel.
The Palestinians denounced as "outrageously
shameful" the failure of the text to win the
necessary nine votes for passage.
The resolution would have set a 12-month
deadline for Israel to reach a final peace
deal with the Palestinians and called for a
full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the
Palestinian territories by the end of 2017.
Council heavyweights China, France, and
Russia were among eight countries voting in
favor, while the United States and Australia
voted against.
Nigeria, which had been expected to support
the resolution, was among five abstentions,
which included Britain, Rwanda, Lithuania,
and South Korea.
Nigeria had assured the Palestinians it
would support them, but abstained after
lobbying efforts by Israel and Washington.
The failure to win the nine votes necessary
for adoption spared Washington having to
wield its veto, which would have caused it
embarrassment with key Arab allies.
But it was also a diplomatic blow for the
Palestinians, who had counted on the
symbolic victory of nine votes, even though
the resolution would in all likelihood have
vetoed by the United States.
Speaking Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu extended his special
thanks to Nigeria and Rwanda.
"This is what tipped the scales," he said.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said "the
failure of the Palestinian vote at the
Security Council should teach the
Palestinians that provocations and attempts
to force Israel into unilateral processes
will not achieve anything -- quite the
opposite."
But Russia said the council's failure to
pass the resolution was "a strategic error."
'Shameful'
Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi expressed
regret over the outcome, criticizing the
African nations that abstained and pledging
to continue "intensive Arab diplomatic
activity" in support of the Palestinian
cause.
The Palestinians reacted furiously to the
vote and pledged to press ahead immediately
with an application for ICC membership.
"The UN Security Council vote is
outrageously shameful," said senior PLO
official Hanan Ashrawi.
"Those countries that abstained demonstrated
a lack of political will to hold Israel
accountable and to act in accordance with
the global rule of law and international
humanitarian law.
The Islamist movement Hamas blamed Abbas for
the setback, demanding he make good on
threats to cut security cooperation with
Israel and join the ICC.
"He is now facing two choices after this
failure ... he must make good on his threats
to end security cooperation with the
occupier, and sign the Rome Statute,"
spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP, referring
to the court's founding treaty.
Senior officials said Abbas would sign the
Rome Statute later Wednesday, along with 15
other international conventions, in a move
that would be discussed with the leadership
at 6:30 p.m.
The ICC can prosecute individuals accused of
genocide, crimes against humanity, and war
crimes, and Palestinian plans to become a
party to the court have been strongly
opposed by Israel and the United States.
Israel warned that joining the court would
also expose Palestinians to prosecution.
"The Palestinians will themselves be judged
by this court, which will show the world the
nature of Palestinian terrorism and the war
crimes committed in the name of the
Palestinian Authority," foreign ministry
spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told AFP.
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