PA's UN bid may lead to ICC action against settlers
ACRI warns that successful Palestinian bid in UN will subject settlements to international criminal code, allow lawsuits against settlers
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) warned Tuesday that should the Palestinian Authority's statehood bid in the United Nations prove successful, West Bank settlers may find themselves facing criminal charges before the International Crimes Court.
An ACRI position paper on the possible legal ramifications of the PA's UN bid suggests that a General Assembly sanction of the Palestinian appeal with effectively subject West Bank settlements, and therefore settlers, to international criminal law and penal code.
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As such, settlers would be exposed to individual criminal lawsuits in The Hague.
The position paper, which according to Yedioth Ahronoth was sent to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, also argues that the Palestinians' unilateral move constitutes a breach of the Oslo Accords, and could lead to rendering them null and void.
The ACRI's paper added that a successful UN bid will also expose the Palestinian Authority to legal action in the ICC and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), saying that once the PA is allowed to join the UN's various human rights bodies, Ramallah would be exposed to human rights violations' lawsuits in all international bodies.
The Israeli rights group further said that ICC and ICJ action against the PA could be taken in cases of rocket fire on civilian population, as well as in the case of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
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