Israel: president and chief of staff visit Europe to lobby against ICC

President of Israel Reuven Rivlin speaks during a press conference with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (not seen) at the Presidential Bellevue Palace during a visit to Germany on 16 March 2021 in Berlin, Germany. [Maja Hitij/Getty Images]

Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin and Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi travelled to Europe on Tuesday in order to lobby against the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to open an investigation into possible breaches of international law in the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Rivlin and Kochavi are expected to hold a series of meetings in Germany, Austria and France. According to Xinhua, the Israeli president said that he will speak to European leaders about “the misuse” of the ICC against Israeli “soldiers and citizens”.

Israel Hayom reported Rivlin saying last week that he had accepted the invitations of his German, French and Austrian counterparts to visit their countries. The newspaper added that the two Israeli officials will focus on Hezbollah and the perceived Iranian threat as well as the ICC investigation.

READ: Israel must accept ICC notification letters regarding war crimes investigation, says legal expert

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