UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday denounced the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes by Israel.
Johnson wrote a letter to Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) heads Lord Polak, Lord Pickles and MP Stephen Crabb, stating “We oppose the ICC’s investigation into war crimes in Palestine,” reported the Jewish Chronicle.
He said that the investigation appeared biased and described it as a “prejudicial attack on a friend and ally of the UK’s.”
He explained that his government “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”.
The UK is a founding member of the ICC. Johnson noted this fact in his letter.
Johnson’s statement comes in the wake of CFI speaking with him and British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in writing and in person.
CFI leadership replied to Johnson’s letter. They stated, “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.”
In his letter, Johnson highlighted the UK’s attempts to “reform” the ICC, which has faced criticisms in the past for bias. Two British jurists were recently elected to serve important positions on the court.
In June, British lawyer Karim Khan who heads an investigation into ISIS war crimes will take over from Fatou Bensouda. Bensouda is the ICC chief prosecutor who is heading the current investigation into Israel.