ICC won't investigate Gaza war because Palestine is 'not a state'

[azurnoir]

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday that diplomats had worked against the Palestinian request for an ICC investigation into Operation Cast Lead, Israel's 3-week offensive on the Gaza Strip that left nearly 1,400 Palestinians dead, including 300 children.

Commenting on the ICC's rejection of the bid for a tribunal, Lieberman said: "Not many understand how much work has been put into this issue," the Israeli news site Ynet reported.

"We have kept it out of the media," Lieberman said. "The Foreign Minister worked very professionally, discreetly and quietly."

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=473738

[Alamuti Lotus]

1. advice to aspiring war criminals: construct your technicalities in advance!

[azurnoir]

2. PLO envoy: Palestine can join ICC

"The doors are still open for us if we decide to sign the Rome Statute, or go to the UN General Assembly asking to become a non-member state. This is left for the Palestinian leadership to determine," the PLO official said.

Moreno-Ocampo told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Palestine could become a party to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, if it becomes a UN non-member state.

"As soon as the General Assembly establishes that Palestine is an observer state, then we can proceed," the ICC prosecutor added.

Over 130 members of the 193-member assembly already recognize Palestinian statehood.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=475280

[Jefferson23]

3. I hope they get on it, now. n/t

Recommend.

[azurnoir]

4. well it could be aditional pressure for Netanyahu to agree to Abbas's Peace Plan

as this thread states

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11347900

or it could be time to retune the Hasbara wulitzer to a new well sort of new song about how the ICC is antiIsrael

[Jefferson23]

5. I thought that song was already etched in stone.."The ICC only sees what Israel does wrong" tune.

The UNSC could ask the ICC to open an investigation but that has no chance of
happening..unfortunately.