(Ha'aretz) Anshel Pfeffer - According to former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Israel has little to worry about from the ICC in the wake of Palestinian threats to take it to court for war crimes. During a visit to Israel last week, Moreno-Ocampo was full of praise for Israel's legal system and eager to point out that joining the ICC could backfire for the Palestinians. The ICC's job is to investigate and prosecute only in cases in which the local legal system is not performing. For the ICC to rule on Israel's activities, he said, "the Palestinians have to prove that the [Israeli court's] decision...wasn't a fair proceeding." Moreno-Ocampo said ICC membership could be a double-edged sword for the Palestinians, since it would also open them up to investigation for war crimes, such as rocket fire and bombings targeting Israeli civilians.
2014-05-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive