President Mahmud Abbas Wednesday signed Wednesday a Palestinian request to join the International Criminal Court, seeking a new avenue for action against Israel after a failed UN resolution to end the occupation.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (L) gestures as he delivers a speech during a ceremony to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the Fatah movement, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on December 31, 2014
The Palestinians hope ICC membership will pave the way for war crimes prosecutions against Israeli officials for their actions in the occupied territories.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly hit back, saying the Palestinians have "more to fear" than Israel from the Hague-based tribunal.
He cited the Palestinian leadership's links to Hamas, the militant group Israel describes as a terrorist organisation, which is part of a unity government with Abbas's Fatah movement.
Praising the Israeli military as "the most moral army in the world", Netanyahu predicted the ICC move would be "defeated like we defeated the Palestinian resolution at the Security Council".
Israel's close ally, the United States, said it "strongly opposes" the request, fearing this will further delay peace talks with Israel.
"It would be counterproductive and would do nothing to further the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a sovereign and independent state," the State Department said.
The ICC can prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Abbas signed the request, which would take two months to take effect, along with applications to adhere to 20 other international conventions during a meeting broadcast live on Palestinian television.
It came the day after the UN Security Council rejected a resolution on ending the Israeli occupation.
The resolution would have set a 12-month deadline for Israel to reach a final peace deal with the Palestinians, and called for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian territories by the end of 2017.
Israel hailed the rejection as a victory, saying it dealt a blow to Palestinian efforts to diplomatically "embarrass and isolate" the Jewish state.
The Palestinians denounced as "outrageously shameful" the failure of the text to win the necessary nine votes for passage.
- French envoy summoned -
Council heavyweights China, France and Russia were among eight countries voting in favour, while the United States and Australia voted against.
Nigeria, which had been expected to support the resolution, was among five abstentions, which included Britain, Rwanda, Lithuania and South Korea.
Nigeria had assured the Palestinians it would support them, then abstained after lobbying efforts by Israel and Washington.
Israel summoned the French ambassador Wednesday, saying it was "disappointed and perplexed" by his country's support for the UN resolution.
The failure to win the nine votes necessary for adoption spared Washington having to wield its veto, which would have caused it embarrassment with key Arab allies.
But it was also a diplomatic blow for the Palestinians, who had counted on the symbolic victory of nine votes, even though the resolution would in all likelihood have been vetoed by the United States.
Speaking Wednesday, Netanyahu extended his special thanks to Nigeria and Rwanda.
"This is what tipped the scales," he said.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the resolution's failure "should teach the Palestinians that provocations and attempts to force Israel into unilateral processes will not achieve anything -- quite the opposite."
But Russia denounced the outcome of the UN vote as "a strategic error."
Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi also expressed regret, criticising the African nations that abstained and pledging to continue "intensive Arab diplomatic activity" in support of the Palestinian cause.
The Palestinians reacted furiously to the vote.
"The UN Security Council vote is outrageously shameful," said senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi.
"Those countries that abstained demonstrated a lack of political will to hold Israel accountable and to act in accordance with the global rule of law and international humanitarian law."
The Islamist movement Hamas blamed Abbas for the setback, demanding he "make good" on threats to cut security cooperation with Israel and join the ICC.