By Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post—
Former International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda broke her commitment to decide the case of the Turkish settlements occupation of Northern Cyprus before leaving office Wednesday, despite publicly committing to do so, and going after Israel as early as late 2019.
Amid the all-important ICC debate about whether Israeli settlements are a war crime, the question of the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus has been almost completely ignored. As recently as only a few weeks ago, The Jerusalem Post received clear indications that Bensouda still intended to rule on the Turkish settlements issue before her term ended.
Sources have indicated that there were last minute changes. Bensouda said she had hoped that “during 2021 decisions could be reached either to dismiss or proceed, with respect to Mexico, Cyprus (settlements), Yemen (arm exporters), Cambodia (land grabbing) and Syria/Jordan (deportation). Despite progress made on a number of these assessments, I will again be handing these over to the incoming Prosecutor to consider and decide upon, as he deems appropriate.”
All of this came after Bensouda publicly committed on February 18 during a virtual conference hosted by the Institute of International and European Affairs to making the decision before the end of her term.
Her office issued a flood of last minute decisions on Tuesday but nothing more about the Turkish settlements and Northern Cyprus before her term expired at noon on Wednesday.
Israeli officials and Israel’s supporters have accused Bensouda and the ICC of a double standard on the settlements issue. Continue Reading….
