Shalom and good evening, this is TV7 Israel
News broadcast to you from Jerusalem.
And in today’s top stories:
In a retaliatory response for the International
Criminal Court’s decision to investigate
the U.S. military for alleged war crimes in
Afghanistan - among others – the Trump Administration
announced a series of sanctions against the
court.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres informed
the world body’s Security Council that debris
of weapons that were used in several attacks
against Saudi Arabia last year were of “Iranian
origin.”
The Islamic Republic’s judiciary announced
that it sentenced a man to death for allegedly
providing information to the CIA and Mossad
on the whereabouts of the former commander
of the IRGC’s Quds Force, Major General
Qassem Soleimani.
The United States will no longer “stand
by” as its people, and those of its allies
around the world (including Israel), are threatened
by the International Criminal Court (or ICC),
which has been increasingly subject to allegations
of corruption and politization of international
law.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an unprecedented
executive order last night ‘authorizing
the imposition of economic sanctions against
ICC official’s, as part of Washington’s
retaliatory response for the international
court’s decision earlier this year to investigate
alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity
committed in relation to armed conflict in
the territory of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
since the 1st of May, 2003.
While on April 12th, 2019, the ICC rejected
a request by its prosecutor to investigate
alleged crimes committed by U.S. Forces in
Afghanistan, highlighting in its ruling that
it “would not serve the interests of justice”
as it viewed “prospects for a successful
investigation and prosecution extremely limited.”
Less than a year later, however, the ICC’s
Appeals Chamber unanimously amended the Court’s
decision – yet failed to cite any reason
for the change of heart.
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda immediately
welcomed the amended ruling while urging for
“full support and cooperation,” despite
knowing full-well that her investigation does
not have any jurisdiction vis-à-vis the United
States and its military, as Washington is
not a signatory of the Rome Statute which
grants the ICC its required international
mandate.
Nevertheless, the ICC prosecutor does not
appear less determined to pursue justice,
which she intends to attain in cooperation
with Afghanistan Authorities, who are ranked
173rd out of 198 countries in the International
Corruption Index for 2019.
“In the independent and impartial exercise
of its mandate, my office welcomes the opportunity
to engage with all parties to the conflict
to advance its investigations.
In this respect, I particularly look forward
to continuing a constructive and collaborative
exchange with the government of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan to determine how justice
may best be served under the shared framework
complementarity, domestic and international
action.”
A little over three months after the court’s
decision to investigate whether U.S. forces
committed war-crimes in Afghanistan; the United
States has followed through on its pledge
to retaliate against the ICC’s politicized
conduct.
"We cannot, we will not, stand by as our people
are threatened by a kangaroo court, and indeed,
I have a message to many close allies around
the world: your people could be next, especially
those from NATO countries who fought terrorism
in Afghanistan right alongside of us.”
"The Trump administration is taking the following
actions: first, we're authorizing the imposition
of economic sanctions against ICC officials
directly engaged in ICC efforts to investigate
U.S. personnel or allied personnel against
that allied state's consent and against others
who materially support such officials' activities.
Designations will be made on a case by case
basis against specific individuals or entities.
And, second, the United States is expanding
visa restrictions with officials directly
engaged in those same investigations.
We are extending and expanding these restrictions
to include their family members.
It gives us no joy to punish them, but we
cannot allow ICC officials and their families
to come to the United States - to shop and
travel and otherwise enjoy American freedoms
- as these same officials seek to prosecute
the defender of those very freedoms."
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also highlighted
Washington’s ‘grave concern’ vis-à-vis
the court’s conduct toward Israel.
“We're also gravely concerned about the
threat the court poses to Israel.
The ICC is already threatening Israel with
an investigation of so-called war crimes committed
by its forces and personnel in the West Bank
and in the Gaza Strip.
Given Israel's robust civilian and military
legal system and strong track record of investigating
and prosecuting wrongdoing by military personnel,
it is clear the ICC is only putting Israel
in its crosshairs for nakedly political purposes.
It's a mockery of justice."
The American top diplomat referred to the
ICC prosecutor’s efforts to investigate
Israel, for her seemingly predetermined position
over whether the Jewish State had committed
war crimes and crimes against humanity in
the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“In brief, I am satisfied (1) that war crimes
had been or are being committed in the West
Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza
Strip.
(2) That potential cases arising from the
situation would be admissible and (3) that
there are no substantial reasons to believe
that an investigation would not serve the
interest of justice.”
It is important to explain that the so-called
war crimes the ICC prosecutor refers to include
Israel’s construction of settlements on
lands the Palestinians demand for a future
state, which the international community perceive
as illegal.
Meanwhile in Jerusalem,
In response to the Trump Administration’s
decision to sanction the International Criminal
Court in the Hague; Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu voiced his praise for President
Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
– while subsequently highlighting the absurdity
of the ICC for claiming that “Jews living
in their historic homeland constitutes a war
crime.”
“First, I want to congratulate President
Trump and Secretary Pompeo for their bold
leadership in sanctioning the corrupt and
biased international criminal court (ICC).
This kangaroo court is a politicized court.
It is obsessed with conducting witch hunts
against Israel, the United States and other
democracies that respect human rights while
turning a blind eye to the world’s greatest
abusers of human rights, including the terrorist
regime in Iran.
The ICC fabricates outlandish charges against
Israel, outrageously claiming that Jews living
in their historic homeland constitutes a war
crime.
Ridiculous.
Shame on them.
And once again America, thank you for standing
up for justice and for standing up for truth.”
In response to the American move, the International
Criminal Court released a statement in which
it expressed, “profound regret at the announcement
of further threats and coercive actions, including
financial measures, against the court and
its officials.”
The statement further asserted that it “stands
firmly by its staff and officials and remains
unwavering in its commitment to discharging,
independently and impartially, the mandate
bestowed upon it by the Rome Statute and the
states that are party to it.”
Subsequently,
EU Foreign Policy Josep Borrell declared the
European Union as a “steadfast supporters
of the International Criminal Court” and
reiterated Brussels’ unyielding “support
to this institution.”
Now in other news,
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres informed
the world body’s Security Council that debris
of weapons that were used in several attacks
on the Aramco Oil Facilities and the Riyadh
international airport last year were of “Iranian
origin.”
In a document circulated among member states
of the Security Council, Guterres further
confessed (quote) “these items may have
been transferred (to Yemen) in a manner inconsistent”
with U.N. Security Council resolution 2231,
which was the only document that provided
legal backing for the 2015 nuclear deal with
the Islamic Republic – that sought to limit
Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for
international sanctions relief.
Iran's mission to the United Nations in New
York did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.
Meanwhile in Tehran,
The Islamic Republic’s judiciary announced
that it sentenced a man to death for allegedly
providing information to the CIA and Mossad
on the whereabouts of the former commander
of the IRGC’s Quds Force, Major General
Qassem Soleimani.
"Recently, a man named Seyyed Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd,
the son of Seyed Kazem, who was linked to
the Mossad and the CIA and had gathered and
shared with them security information, especially
about the Armed Forces, including information
about the victorious and powerful Quds Force
and the location and whereabouts of martyr
Soleimani in return for U.S. dollars, has
been sentenced to death by a revolutionary
court.
The branch 19 of the Supreme Court's has upheld
the death sentence."
The court did not provide any proof of the
voiced allegations against the man and TV7
was unable to immediately corroborate whether
these allegations have any grounds.
Thank you for watching us.
As part of TV7’s global prayer initiative
I would like to encourage you today to join
myself and the team here in Jerusalem to pray
for the salvation and peace of Albania, alongside
our ongoing prayers for the peace of Jerusalem,
the salvation of Israel, as well as for all
those who are impacted by the corona contagion
world-wide.
I am Jonathan Hessen, have an Erev Tov and
Shabbat Shalom and we will see you again on
Monday at the same time.
