U.N. confirms Palestinians to ICC despite U.S. opposition

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has confirmed the Palestinians will formally become a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 1 and the court’s registrar said on Wednesday that jurisdiction would date back to June 13, 2014. This means the court’s prosecutor could investigate the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014, during which more than 2,100 Palestinians, 67 Israeli soldiers and six civilians in Israel were killed. Israel, like the United States, is not a an ICC member, but its citizens could be tried on accusations of crimes on Palestinian land.

This marks the end of Israeli impunity. ICC membership for the Palestinians changes the balance of power in favor of justice, freedom, peace and international law.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat

The United States said on Wednesday it does not believe Palestine is a sovereign state and therefore does not qualify to be part of the International Criminal Court. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki stressed that the U.S. administration would comply with the law on funding the Palestinians, amid new moves in Congress to freeze about $440 million in annual aid if the Palestinian Authority seeks to join the court. The U.S. sees Palestine’s move as an obstacle to reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Australia also voted against the resolution, but China, France and Russia were among eight countries that voted in favor.

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