AFP, Ramallah :
The Palestinians formally gain membership of the International Criminal Court on Wednesday with the aim of pursuing Israelis for war crimes, despite uncertainty over the move’s wider ramifications.
The accession is another step in the Palestinian diplomatic and legal international campaign, which gained steam in 2014.
It has uncertain consequences, not only because it is highly unlikely Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israelis will find themselves being tried at the ICC, but also because it constitutes a new deterioration in the strained relationship.
But the Palestinians are beyond caring.
Exasperated after decades of failed negotiations with Israel, with no perspective for the state they have been yearning, they have decided to take their case to the international arena.
On January 2, the Palestinians moved to join The Hague-based court in a process that will be finalised on April 1, setting the scene for potential legal action against Israeli officials for alleged war crimes.
“Palestine has and will continue to use all legitimate tools within its means in order to defend itself against Israeli colonisation and other violations of international law,” said senior Palestinian official Saeb Erakat.
The ICC has long been brandished as one of the Palestinians’ doomsday measures, along with threatening to end vital West Bank security coordination with Israel.
The notion of ICC investigations is outrageous to Israel, and Netanyahu has accused the Palestinian unity government — including Hamas which the Jewish state considers “terrorist” — of “manipulating” the court.
Israel retaliated swiftly and cut off millions of dollars in monthly tax payments it collects on behalf of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.
The notion of forming a Palestinian state by negotiations was buried during this month’s election campaign by Netanyahu, who pledged one would not be established on his watch, were he to retain the premiership.
