ICC-PALESTINIANS/ISRAEL-NETANYAHU Netanyahu slams ICC's inquiry into Israeli-Palestinian conflict, eyes Asian markets

Record ID: 398912

  • Title: ICC-PALESTINIANS/ISRAEL-NETANYAHU Netanyahu slams ICC's inquiry into Israeli-Palestinian conflict, eyes Asian markets
  • Date: 18th January 2015
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (JANUARY 18, 2015) (REUTERS) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ARRIVING AT CABINET MEETING NETANYAHU OPENS MEETING MINISTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYING: "ICC prosecutor's decision to open an inquiry against the state of Israel is a record high of hypocrisy and reverse justice. I have seen such phenomena while ser
  • Embargoed: 2nd February 2015 12:00
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  • Location: Jerusalem
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3NNQUPYY34N9X1U6Z1XWGFXKX
  • Story Text: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday (January 18) the Jewish state would use every resource to fight the International Criminal Court's decision to launch an inquiry into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and pledged to reduce Israel's dependence on Western markets.
    ICC prosecutors said on Friday (January 16) they would examine "in full independence and impartiality" crimes that may have occurred since June 13 last year. This allows the court to delve into the war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza in July-August 2014 that killed more than 2,100 Palestinians and 70 Israelis.
    The decision came after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in the absence of peace talks and against strong opposition from Israel and the United States, requested ICC membership, which comes into effect on April 1.
    Israel, which like the United States does not belong to the ICC, hopes to dent funding for the court that is drawn from the 122 member-states in accordance with the size of their economies.
    "ICC prosecutor's decision to open an inquiry against the state of Israel is a record high of hypocrisy and reverse justice. I have seen such phenomena while serving in the public service, representing Israel as an ambassador to the UN as well as in my capacity as prime minister. But the prosecutor's decision in this case falls into a category in itself. It legitimises international terror, under international protection. We will fight this with every resource and will recruit others to fight this absurdity. They are already joining us. We will protect Israel's right to defend itself, we will not allow the prosecution of Israeli soldiers at an international tribunal. I also wish to say that these measures will not deter us from doing what's needed to protect the state of Israel and its citizens," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.
    Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said Israel would demand Canada, Australia and Germany to stop funding the ICC. He said he would raise the matter with visiting Canadian counterpart John Baird on Sunday.
    Another Israeli official said that a similar request was sent to Germany, traditionally one of the court's strongest supporters, and would also be made to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is separately visiting Jerusalem and whose nation is the largest contributor to the ICC.
    Islamist group Hamas, which is deemed a terrorist group by Israel and the West, on Saturday (January 17) welcomed the ICC inquiry and said it was prepared to provide material for complaints against the Jewish state.
    Netanyahu also said Israel was seeking new Asian markets as a potential alternative to parts of western Europe where hostility toward it is on the rise.
    Europe is Israel's biggest trading partner, but deepening diplomatic disputes over policy toward the Palestinians and anti-Jewish incidents such as a Jan. 9 attack by an Islamist gunman on a Paris kosher deli have triggered Israeli worries.
    Netanyahu, a conservative former finance minister and free-market champion, cast his courting of China, India and Japan over the past two years years as a partial response to European developments. He was due to host a Japanese government and business delegation led by visiting Abe later in the day.
    "Today we will welcome Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who is coming with a big delegation of 100 government officials and 100 heads of Japanese companies that among the world's leading companies. I would remind you that the Japanese economy is the world's third biggest, and here there is a shared interest, which was manifest in my visit to Japan a few months ago, to tighten the ties, to increase trade to increase Israel-Japan investments," Netanyahu said.
    "I emphasise markets to the East not because we want to give up on other markets. But we definitely want to reduce our dependence on certain markets in western Europe," Netanyahu said without naming specific countries.
    "Western Europe is undergoing a wave of Islamisation, of anti-Semitism, and of anti-Zionism. It is awash in such waves, and we want to ensure that for years to come the State of Israel will have diverse markets all over the world," he added.
    Netanyahu, who is playing up his security credentials ahead of a March 17 election in Israel, said his government was also working to facilitate Jewish immigration. The Paris attack has stoked French Jewish interest in the option of moving to Israel.
    According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, Europe accounted for 45.8 percent of imports and 35.8 percent of exports in the first 11 months of 2014. Asia accounted for 22.5 percent of Israeli imports and 25.4 percent of Israeli exports.
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