British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed his opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to open an investigation against Israel.
“We do not accept that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance. This investigation gives the impression of being a partial and prejudicial attack on a friend and ally of the UK’s,” he said in a letter to the British group Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI).
“We do not accept that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance, given that Israel is not a party to the Statute of Rome and Palestine is not a sovereign state,” he wrote.
Britain is joining a growing number of European nations, including Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Hungary, who have expressed opposition to the ICC investigation.
The ICC announced last month that it would investigate possible war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinians, specifically related to “Operation Protective Edge” in the summer of 2014.
CFI’s leaders welcomed Johnson’s opposition to the investigation. “The investigation has rightly been condemned,” they said in a statement. “As the Prime Minister states, the ICC does not have jurisdiction, and we support the U.K.’s decision to stand with Israel against the probe.”
In response to Johnson’s comments, the Palestinian Authority’s mission in London said on Wednesday that his letter “marks a low point in U.K.-Palestine relations and undermines the U.K.’s credibility on the international stage.”
“We do not accept that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance. This investigation gives the impression of being a partial and prejudicial attack on a friend and ally of the UK’s,” he said in a letter to the British group Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI).
“We do not accept that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance, given that Israel is not a party to the Statute of Rome and Palestine is not a sovereign state,” he wrote.
Britain is joining a growing number of European nations, including Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Hungary, who have expressed opposition to the ICC investigation.
The ICC announced last month that it would investigate possible war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinians, specifically related to “Operation Protective Edge” in the summer of 2014.
CFI welcomed Johnson’s opposition to the investigation.
“The investigation has rightly been condemned,” its leaders said in a statement. “As the Prime Minister states, the ICC does not have jurisdiction, and we support the U.K.’s decision to stand with Israel against the probe.”
In response to Johnson’s comments, the Palestinian Authority’s mission in London said on Wednesday that his letter “marks a low point in U.K.-Palestine relations and undermines the U.K.’s credibility on the international stage.”