”The State of Israel is a law-abiding democracy with an independent legal system. Israel is committed to the fundamental values of international law, and is fully capable of examining alleged violations of the law on its own,” stated Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit

Israel’s Security Cabinet completely rejected the “scandalous decision” of the court. The Cabinet “determines that the court has no authority to make such a decision. Israel is not a member of the international court and the Palestinian Authority does not have the status of a state”.

The Cabinet added: “Even as it allows the investigation of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East that is committed to the rule of law, the court shuts its eyes to the awful war crimes being perpetrated time and again by dark dictatorships such as Iran and Syria.”

“The claim that Jews living in their homeland and their capital of Jerusalem constitutes a war crime is scandalous. Also, the claim that the IDF – there is no more ethical army – is carrying out war crimes even as it protects us from terrorists that launch rockets at our cities – is no less scandalous.”

Israel’s judicial system: an example for the world

Israel places great emphasis on its judicial system. It has independent investigative bodies and an independent judiciary.  The Supreme Court maintains judicial oversight over the actions taken in the territories.

”The State of Israel is a law-abiding democracy with an independent legal system. Israel is committed to the fundamental values of international law, and is fully capable of examining alleged violations of the law on its own,” stated Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. ”For this reason as well, there is absolutely no place for the ICC’s intervention in matters that are under the jurisdiction of the State of Israel. The relevant political and legal authorities in Israel have been closely following for some time the attempts to draw the ICC into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and are fully prepared to deal with any possible developments in the ICC arena,” he added.