Israel fears the International Criminal Court’s decision to move forward with a potential investigation into crimes allegedly committed in the Palestinian territories by Israel will open up current and former government officials and military personnel to prosecution on the global stage, according to a report Saturday.
With Israel planning to refuse to cooperate with a potential investigation by the ICC, officials fear top officers of the Israel Defense Forces, as well as low-ranking soldiers, could face international arrest warrants, Israel’s Channel 12 reported.
The prime minister, defense ministers, IDF chiefs and the heads of the Shin Bet security service over the past five years could all face the danger of prosecution.
The ICC deals with the prosecution of individuals for alleged crimes, rather than states.
Regarding the question of whether Israel will cooperate with the ICC’s pre-trial chamber in the coming 120 days, an official in the PMO said: “A decision will be reached after the legal teams make their recommendations.”
Meanwhile diplomatic sources told Channel 12: “There will be no cooperation with the court… certainly not if it will eventually be decided to open an [official] probe.”
Private Israeli organizations could potentially defend those prosecuted but the Israeli government would not work with a probe in any formal capacity, they said.
