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Johnson condemns ICC Israel probe

PM writes that Britain does not accept ICC jurisdiction "in this instance"

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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 02: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech at 10 Downing Street on September 2, 2019 in London, England. Boris Johnson spoke to the public from Downing Street saying he hoped that MPs would vote with the government in not taking "No Deal" off the Brexit negotiating table with the EU. He said we are leaving the EU on 31st October "no ifs or buts". (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has unexpectedly stepped into the debate about whether the International Criminal Court should investigate alleged war crimes by Israel — and firmly announced his opposition to such an investigation.

n a letter released last night to Conservative Friends of Israel leaders Lord Polak, Lord Pickles, and Stephen Crabb MP, Mr Johnson said: “We oppose the ICC’s investigation into war crimes in Palestine”.

This, he said, was because Britain “did not accept that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance, given that Israel is not a party to the Statute of Rome and Palestine is not a sovereign state”.

He added: “This investigation gives the impression of being a partial and prejudicial attack on a friend and ally of the UK’s”.

The prime minister’s intervention comes after the CFI leadership raised the issue with him and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in both letters and meetings.

In response to Mr Johnson’s letter, Lord Polak, Lord Pickles and Mr Crabb said:“We strongly welcome the Prime Minister's confirmation of the UK’s opposition to the ICC’s controversial investigation. The investigation has rightly been condemned for giving ‘the impression of being a partial and prejudicial attack on a friend and ally’. As the Prime Minister states, the ICC does not have jurisdiction and we support the UK's decision to stand with Israel against the probe”.

Britain is a founder member of the ICC, as Mr Johnson made clear in his letter to the Conservative Friends of Israel, and thus speaks with authority in the matter.

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