Ex-ICC lawyer: It is impossible to bribe new prosecutor

Nick Kaufman, a former prosecutor at the ICC, stressed yesterday that it is impossible to offer bribes to the new international tribunal’s prosecutor Karim Khan, Israel’s Army Radio said.

Kaufman reiterated that whoever thinks that it is possible to bribe or buy off the new ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is wrong. This comes as the ICC opens an investigation into Israeli crimes in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Commenting on the US administration’s lifting of sanctions imposed on the outgoing ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, Kaufman said: “This is a message that the solution is dialogue with the tribunal, but [the Israeli] government ignores this reality.”

He added: “I am not exaggerating if I said that it is necessary to postpone taking a decisive decision on this issue until after the formation of a new [Israeli] government since the question is taking a complex decision from political and legal views.”

Taking to Twitter yesterday, Kaufman said the “Israel Cabinet meeting is adjourned *without* a decision on how to respond to @IntlCrimCourt Prosecutor #Bensouda’s #deferral invitation letter issued pursuant to Art.18 of the #RomeStatute.”

🔴After approx. 2 hours, Government of #Israel Cabinet meeting is adjourned *without* a decision on how to respond to @IntlCrimCourt Prosecutor #Bensouda's #deferral invitation letter issued pursuant to Art.18 of the #RomeStatute. #PalestineSituation. https://t.co/MMXc2OjERE

— Nick Kaufman (@kaufman_law) April 7, 2021

READ: Israel looks to delay ICC probes into its crimes