PA calls on ICC to deal with Israeli courts as tools of occupation, judges as war criminals

The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Tuesday called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to deal with the Israeli court as tools of the occupation and Israeli judges as war criminals.

In a statement issued by the PA’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, the ministry affirmed that the Israeli courts are part and parcel of the Israeli occupation regime.

Therefore, the ministry called on the ICC to deal with these courts as tools of the Israeli occupation, used to terrorise Palestinian citizens, stressing that their rulings are “equal to war crimes” and their judges are “war criminals”.

According to the statement, the ministry argued that the Israeli courts serve the settlement organisations which aim to judaise and Israelise Jerusalem.

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It gave examples regarding the decisions of the Israeli courts, including the ruling to evacuate Al-Rajabi Building in the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan, and handing it over to Ateret Cohanim,

an organisation seeking to increase Jewish presence in the Old City.

The statement also argued that the Israeli courts approve the demolition of Palestinian homes and properties, as well as the excavation works beneath Palestinian homes and other buildings, noting that such decisions have recently multiplied.

Meanwhile, the ministry renewed its call for UNICEF, the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children, to form an international mission to visit Jerusalem and stand closely at the Israeli destructive excavations, in order to report them to the international bodies.

In addition, the statement raised the issue of Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in Wadi Al-Hummus last year, to the ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who consequently issued a warning on this subject and stressed that she would follow up this “dangerous issue” with the ICC.

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