Haniya’s Advisor Blasts Hague Court for Supporting Zionist Regime

A senior advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya lambasted the International Criminal Court in the Hague for closing its eyes to the Zionist regime’s crimes against the Palestinian people by rejecting the Palestinian Authority’s request for investigating the Israeli crimes.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected on Tuesday a request by the Palestinian Authority to investigate the crimes committed in the Palestinian Territories.

The decision dashed Palestinian hopes that the war crimes court, based in the Hague, might examine the events of the 2008-2009 Gaza war in which about 1,400 Palestinians were killed.

Speaking to FNA, Palestinian Prime Minister’s Political Advisor Yusef Rizka criticized Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC Prosecutor, who said the court is unable to probe the Palestinian Authority’s request because it only has jurisdiction over recognized states, and reiterated, “Maybe Palestine is not a country at present, but it is a territory and nation with all the qualifications needed for being a country.”

He said that the ICC decision is “wrong and against the international law” and will embolden Israel to repeat its crimes against the Palestinian nation.

For three years, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has been trying to decide whether he had jurisdiction over Israel for war crimes in Gaza, although the answer seemed obvious from the start.

Finally this week the Prosecutor announced that he would not pursue the investigation of Israel “for acts committed on the territory of Palestine since 1 July 2002.” For now, this unfortunately closes off yet another legal front of attack on Israel, meaning that Palestinians are ignored by international bodies and should continue tolerating Israeli aggressions and oppressions.