In the discussion led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, a strategy was formulated for the tribunal's investigation into the commission of "war crimes" in the territories of Judea and Samaria and Gaza. "Israel has a reliable and professional legal system that investigates any allegations of violation of the law." Going forward
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today (Thursday) held a hearing on the criminal court in The Hague in his Jerusalem office, during which the decision was made that Israel will make it clear to the court's chief prosecutor, Pato Bensuda, that it has no authority to open an investigation against Israel: Allegation of violation of the law. "
An official announcement is expected later.
Netanyahu on the decision of the Hague tribunal to open an investigation against Israel: "The essence of anti-Semitism and hypocrisy" // Photo: GPO
The discussion was also attended by Defense Minister Bnei Gantz, Education Minister Yoav Galant, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, National Security Council Chief Meir Ben Shabbat, Military Prosecutor Sharon Afek and others.
The main prosecutor for the past nine years, Pato Bensuda, who also serves as the director of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, last month officially announced the opening of an investigation against Israel in committing war crimes in the Judea and Samaria and Gaza territories. , Islamic Jihad, Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Basuda announces opening of criminal investigation in Judea and Samaria and Gaza Strip // Archive photo
It should be noted that the mandate of the tribunal to investigate the events refers, as stated, to the period beginning on June 13, 2014, a day after the abduction of the three boys.
That is, on the face of it, the tribunal set the date from which it would begin investigating so that the investigators would not relate to the abduction event itself, but only to the IDF operations that followed.
Basuda is expected to leave her post in the coming weeks.
In recent years, she herself and the institution she heads have been the subject of very harsh sanctions by the Trump administration, following its decision to interrogate American and Israeli soldiers.