PALESTINIAN President Mahmoud Abbas started the year with a bang. On January 1, he signed the Statute of the International Criminal Court, or the Rome Statute.Palestine’s membership formally came into effect on April 1. The court has jurisdiction over international crimes committed on or from Palestinian territory since last June.By signing the statute Mr Abbas achieved four things.Palestine’s court membership shows it joins the international community’s fight against impunity for international crimes, sharing the objective of prosecuting those responsible for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.Second, Mr Abbas challenges the impunity Israel has enjoyed for violence against Palestinians. The most recent example is the Gaza War last year in which close to 2,000 Palestinians were killed. Palestine also plans to challenge the legality of the Israeli settlements before the court. By making a complaint to the court, Mr Abbas aims to "internationalise" the conflict and show ...
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