US Vows to Use ‘Any Means’ to Protect Israel from ICC

Rasa - The United States announced its decision not to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, vowing to protect itself and its “friend and ally” Israel from the judicial body, while also threatened sanctions against the “unjust” court.

News ID: 439503

Date: 12 September 2018 - 13:02

RNA - Announcing the move, US National Security Advisor John Bolton on Monday warned the ICC against continuing its investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Americans in Afghanistan, World News reported.

If the international court continues to pursue the probe, Washington will ban ICC judges from entering the country, prosecute them and sanction their funds, the official said in a speech before the Federalist Society in Washington, DC.

“We will ban ICC judges and prosecutors from entering the United States, sanction their funds in the United States financial system, and, prosecute them in the United States criminal system,” Bolton boomed.

All the US citizens, “operating in the service of the government” anywhere in the world, are subjects to the American justice system only, Bolton stated, adding that “on this Earth, we don’t recognize any authority higher than the US constitution”.

Bolton also ripped into the court’s threat to Washington’s “friend and ally” Israel as he referred to the investigation into alleged crimes against Palestinians, stressing that the probe into actions of such a “liberal, democratic nation” as Israel is unacceptable.

Any countries supporting the investigation and cooperating with the ICC will be subject to secondary sanctions, Bolton warned.

He promised to “take notes” of the countries cooperating with the ICC, warning that such behavior will affect their relations with the US and might result in slashing the US aid to such nations.

He then vowed to undertake action in the UN to bar the ICC from prosecuting nationals of any countries that did not ratify the statute of the international body.

Just ahead of Bolton’s speech on the ICC, the US announced its decision to shut down the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) office in Washington. The move was condemned by the group as yet “another affirmation” of the US policy “to collectively punish the Palestinian people”. Despite the US pressure, Palestine vowed to continue its calls on the ICC to “open its immediate investigation into Israeli crimes.”

The United States cut one of its last remaining aid programmes for Palestinians days ago, a move that is going to affect critical patients, including cancer victims and children with serious health conditions. Washington's decision to scrap its $25m financial assistance to a network of six hospitals in occupied East Jerusalem was sharply criticised by Palestinian leaders and health officials, who called it a "cruel" and "unjustified" act of "political blackmail".

The move came amid a vacuum in Middle East peace efforts as the US administration presses on with work on the peace plan that has been under discussion for months. US President Donald Trump has tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner and lawyer Jason Greenblatt to draft the peace proposals.

Last month, the Trump administration ended a $200m economic assistance for the West Bank and Gaza as part of its USAID programme.

A week later, the US halted all funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which provides much-needed services to Palestinians within and outside the occupied territories.

According to Fars News Agency, the massive cuts in aid for Palestine followed the Trump administration's controversial decisions to recognise of Jerusalem as Israel's capital last year and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May.

In May, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry asked the ICC to launch an inquiry into Israeli “crimes against humanity” and its illegal settlement policies. The alleged crimes of the Israeli government include forcible transfer, demolition of Palestinian homes and killing of peaceful protesters.

Tensions have been running high along the Gaza fence since late March, which marked the start of a series of protests, dubbed “The Great March of Return”. The rallies call for ending the 12-year-long Israeli blockade of Gaza and for the right of return of the refugees.

The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Nakba Day (the Day of Catastrophe), which coincided this year with the US embassy relocation from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.

More than 180 Palestinians have been killed and 19,000 others were injured since the outbreak of the Gaza border demonstrations on March 30.

847/940