by Nitsana Darshan-Leitner
The radical Left and human rights groups are so steeped in hypocrisy that their glee over the ICC's ruling blinds them to the atrocities committed by Palestinian terrorists.
The fact that the international criminal court has decided to investigate Israel for alleged war crimes must serve as a wake-up call – perhaps it is time to stop acting like we don't really have a right to the Jewish state.
Despite the Military Advocate General's efforts to investigate any infringement, big or small, by IDF soldiers, and despite the military forming a unit the mission of which is to prevent human rights violations and to ensure compliance with international law, Israel is still facing an international investigation.
The Hague, it seems, it utterly unimpressed by High Court of Justice decisions preventing the expansion of the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria.
As so many among us do not believe in our right to this land, we will be hard-pressed to convince the ICC of it. Nor will we be able to convince the court that the IDF is an ethical military and that at times, its preoccupation with not placing innocent Palestinians in harm's way costs Israeli lives.
The radical Left and human rights groups are so steeped in hypocrisy that their glee over the ICC's ruling blinds them to the atrocities committed by Palestinian terrorists.
Israel must take resolute action, or it risks its officers and politicians hesitating before embarking on any military operation designed to protect the Israeli public.
Israel's leadership continues to insist on realizing defunct leftist ideas among other things for fear of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
This is what prompted the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 – a failed experiment that turned Israeli cities into hostages for Hamas and its missiles.
Israel has also decided not to decide on the issue of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria – for fear of incurring the ICC's wrath – thus leaving the Jewish residents there in limbo.
The lack of a government decision on the future of Judea and Samaria prevents the area's development. While Israel remains passive, the Palestinian Authority, under the auspices of the EU and the ICC, plans to exploit the Biden administration to the point that Israel will miss the Obama presidency.
Israel's efforts here must include applying sovereignty to Judea and Samaria. It must stand up to its detractors and proudly proclaim: This land is our and no court will tell us where our borders run.
One way to deal with the decision in The Hague is to immediately adopt US policy on the issue. Immediately after the establishment of the ICC in The Hague, in 2002, the US Congress passed The American Service-Members' Protection Act, which has come to be known as the "The Hague invasion law.
The law also bars any US authority from giving the ICC information about US nationals, civilians or in uniform, it may deem as persons of interest in an investigation. It also allows the American president to use all means at his disposal to free an individual detained or tried by the ICC – including invading The Hague.
True, only a superpower like the US can back a law that gives the president the authority to stage military action on foreign soil to free soldiers held over their service to their country, but apart from that draconian article, the law is very sensible and includes provisions barring any financial assistance to the court, cooperation with it or the transfer of confidential information.
Israel must therefore adopt the legislative arrangement that exists in the United States, and ensure that no authority in Israel directly or indirectly assists the Hague to gather evidence against our civilians and soldiers.
This should be anchored in legislation and the law must be enforced as one that applies to Israelis everywhere.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner
Source: https://www.israelhayom.com/opinions/we-only-have-ourselves-to-blame/
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