RAMALLAH // The Palestinians formally gain membership of the International Criminal Court on Wednesday with the aim of pursuing Israel for war crimes, despite uncertainty over the move’s wider ramifications.
Joining the ICC is another step in the Palestinian diplomatic and legal campaign for statehood, which gained steam in 2014.
Membership has uncertain consequences, however, not only because it is highly unlikely that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israelis will find themselves being tried at The Hague-based court, but also because it constitutes a new deterioration in the Palestinians’ strained relationship with the Jewish state.
“Palestine has and will continue to use all legitimate tools within its means in order to defend itself against Israeli colonisation and other violations of international law,” said senior Palestinian official Saeb Erakat.
The ICC has long been brandished as one of the Palestinians’ doomsday measures, along with threatening to end West Bank security coordination with Israel.
Israel considers the prospect of ICC investigations as outrageous, and Mr Netanyahu has accused the Palestinian unity government of “manipulating” the court.
When the Palestinians moved to join the court on January 2, Israel retaliated by cutting off millions of dollars in monthly tax payments that it collects on behalf of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.
However, Mr Netanyahu has since released the withheld tax payments, which constitute two-thirds of the PA’s income, excluding foreign aid.
In exchange for this unfreezing, some Israeli media reported that the Palestinians had agreed to refrain from filing complaints to the ICC on Wednesday – something that the Palestinians have denied.
“It’s a huge lie. Taxes have nothing to do with our ICC approach. The ICC train already departed,” said Xavier Abu Eid, a spokesman for Palestine Liberation Organisation.
The final stage of the ICC membership process will be primarily ceremonial, with Palestinian foreign minister Riad Malki receiving a copy of the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty.
While some Palestinian officials announced April 1 as the day they would file complaints against Israelis, in reality it is more likely that they will wait, as state members are only able to draw the court’s attention to specific cases.
In addition, they will be holding on to see the outcome of a preliminary investigation that was launched by ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on January 16.
While seeking ICC membership, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas sent the court documents that authorised the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes that have taken place in Palestinian territories since June 13, 2014.
Israel’s summer war on Gaza killed 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis.
So far, however, no ICC investigation of Israeli officials has been launched and no time framework has been set for one.
But the Palestinians are confident that an investigation will happen sooner rather than later. They reject the argument that Israeli officials cannot be tried at the ICC, because Israel is not a signatory of the Rome Statute, maintaining that the court can also investigate crimes committed on the territory of member states.
* Agence France-Presse
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
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Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Company%20profile
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Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Rio Angie, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Trenchard, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Mulfit, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Waady, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m. Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Inside%20Out%202
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
