ICC to Israel: 'Investigation' Means Investigation
The International Criminal Court has, to almost no one's surprise, rejected Israel's bid to unilaterally declare itself exempt from an investigation into its conduct in Gaza. This move follows a well-worn playbook: commit actions that raise significant human rights concerns, then vociferously deny any outside body has the right to look into it. It’s a strategy perfected over decades, from the
Nakba, to Sabra and Shatila, and every incursion since. One might wonder if the US, which frequently runs interference for Israel at the UN and other international bodies, will now move to sanction the ICC for daring to apply universal law. After all, the US itself has threatened sanctions against ICC officials for investigating alleged war crimes by American personnel in Afghanistan, effectively
asserting its own citizens – and its allies – are also above the court's jurisdiction. The hypocrisy, apparently, travels well across alliances.