Palestine becomes 123rd member of the International Criminal Court

(Baonghean) - On Wednesday, April 1, Palestine officially became the 123rd member of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Immediately afterwards, Israel voiced its opposition and did not recognize the ICC's action.

One day before becoming an official member of the ICC, in a speech before the Institute of Social Sciences (IS) in The Hague (Netherlands), Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki declared, “We do not seek revenge, but only justice.” Accordingly, despite becoming a member of the ICC, the Palestinian government said that, at least in the near future, Palestine will not “complain” about Israel. And although not yet recognized as a state, the ceremony to admit Palestine as an official member of the ICC was still held according to state-level rituals.

Gaza Strip on March 31. Photo: AP/Adel Hana

The Palestinian Authority began participating in the ICC's activities on January 1, 2015, immediately after the failure of the Security Council Resolution on recognizing the Palestinian state and ending the Israeli occupation. Israel and the United States have strongly condemned the process, denying Palestine's accession to the ICC as a state.

In April 2012, Palestine first applied to join the ICC, but the request was later rejected on the grounds that Palestine was not a state. According to an expert on international law, although some obstacles have now been overcome, it is not impossible that the ICC will be declared to lack jurisdiction and Palestine's accession will not be recognized.

Palestine’s accession to the ICC could be seen as an act of pressure on Israel, despite the fact that Palestinian leaders, especially Hamas, could also be targeted by the ICC. “We may be the target of investigations, but we are not afraid of that,” said Nabil Abouznaid, the representative of the State of Palestine in the Netherlands. According to Abouznaid, Palestine’s accession to the ICC is based on equality.

It seems that the conflict between Palestine and Israel is not only taking place on the ground but also expanding into the legal field. In early 2015, along with the request to become a member of the ICC, Palestine also asked prosecutors to investigate violations during the “Operation Protective Edge” conducted by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip from June 13, 2014 onwards. On the Israeli side, the Israel Law Center has also submitted three complaints to the ICC against President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.

Chu Thanh(According to Le Monde 1/4)