({{AFP}}) \u2015 {President Mahmud Abbas Wednesday signed Wednesday a Palestinian request to join the International Criminal Court, seeking a new avenue for action against Israel after a failed U.N. resolution to end the occupation.}<\/p>\n
The Palestinians hope ICC membership will pave the way for war crimes prosecutions against Israeli officials for their actions in the occupied territories.<\/p>\n
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly hit back, saying the Palestinians have \u201cmore to fear\u201d than Israel from the Hague-based tribunal.<\/p>\n
He cited the Palestinian leadership\u2019s links to Hamas, the militant group Israel describes as a terrorist organization, which is part of a unity government with Abbas\u2019s Fatah movement.<\/p>\n
Praising the Israeli military as \u201cthe most moral army in the world,\u201d Netanyahu predicted the ICC move would be \u201cdefeated like we defeated the Palestinian resolution at the Security Council.\u201d<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s close ally, the United States, said it \u201cstrongly opposes\u201d the request, fearing this will further delay peace talks with Israel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be counterproductive and would do nothing to further the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a sovereign and independent state,\u201d the State Department said.<\/p>\n
The ICC can prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.<\/p>\n
Abbas signed the request, which would take two months to take effect, along with applications to adhere to 20 other international conventions during a meeting broadcast live on Palestinian television.<\/p>\n
It came the day after the U.N. Security Council rejected a resolution on ending the Israeli occupation.<\/p>\n
The resolution would have set a 12-month deadline for Israel to reach a final peace deal with the Palestinians, and called for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian territories by the end of 2017.<\/p>\n
Israel hailed the rejection as a victory, saying it dealt a blow to Palestinian efforts to diplomatically \u201cembarrass and isolate\u201d the Jewish state.<\/p>\n
The Palestinians denounced as \u201coutrageously shameful\u201d the failure of the text to win the necessary nine votes for passage. <\/p>\n
Council heavyweights China, France and Russia were among eight countries voting in favor, while the United States and Australia voted against.<\/p>\n
Nigeria, which had been expected to support the resolution, was among five abstentions, which included Britain, Rwanda, Lithuania and South Korea.<\/p>\n
Nigeria had assured the Palestinians it would support them, then abstained after lobbying efforts by Israel and Washington. <\/p>\n
Israel summoned the French ambassador Wednesday, saying it was \u201cdisappointed and perplexed\u201d by his country\u2019s support for the U.N. resolution.<\/p>\n
The failure to win the nine votes necessary for adoption spared Washington having to wield its veto, which would have caused it embarrassment with key Arab allies. <\/p>\n
But it was also a diplomatic blow for the Palestinians, who had counted on the symbolic victory of nine votes, even though the resolution would in all likelihood have been vetoed by the United States.<\/p>\n
Speaking Wednesday, Netanyahu extended his special thanks to Nigeria and Rwanda. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what tipped the scales,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the resolution\u2019s failure \u201cshould teach the Palestinians that provocations and attempts to force Israel into unilateral processes will not achieve anything \u2015 quite the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Russia denounced the outcome of the U.N. vote as \u201ca strategic error.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi also expressed regret, criticizing the African nations that abstained and pledging to continue \u201cintensive Arab diplomatic activity\u201d in support of the Palestinian cause.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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