The Palestinian Authority won a major victory Monday when it was granted official observer status by the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
The long-sought status upgrade was announced at a session of the 122-member tribunal at the United Nations in New York City.
Although symbolic, the move is seen as “another victory for the Palestinians internationally,” said PLO representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, and a step taking the PA closer to “Palestinian membership in the ICC.”
The Court has been unable to investigate war crimes committed by or within the Palestinian Authority or Gaza inasmuch as neither is a member of the Court, as required by the Rome Statute, which grants jurisdiction on behalf of, and over members of the ICC.
For the same reason, the ICC has not been able to investigate any allegations of crimes supposedly committed by the IDF during any of its counter terror operations in Gaza, since Israel also has no membership in the ICC.
PA and PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, known to his Arab constituents by his terrorist name of “Abu Mazen,” has repeatedly threatened to join the ICC in the event the UN Security Council does not comply with his demand to set a firm timetable for Israel to disengage from Judea, Samaria and all parts of Jerusalem restored to its capital in the 1967 Six Day War, and withdraw to the 1949 Armistice Lines.
