After Seizing Taxes, Netanyahu Threatens More Moves Against Palestinians

Vows to Punish Them for Seeking to Join World Court

A day after seizing some $100 million worth of tax funds from the Palestinian Authority, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take more hostile action against the Palestinians to punish them for seeking membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Palestinians sought ICC membership last week, after failing to get the UN Security Council to agree to an end of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank. Membership would give the world court jurisdiction in Palestinian territory, making it possible they would charge Israel with war crimes during their assorted wars therein.

Netanyahu has promised no Israeli soldier will ever face charges at the Hague under any circumstances. He also wants the ICC to charge the Palestinians for being in league with Hamas, though since Israel never ratified its membership in the ICC, and has said they never will, they can’t bring such cases themselves.

Exactly what further punitive actions Israel will take against the Palestinians is unclear right now, but Israel is said to be demanding that the US Congress revoke some $400 million in aid the US provides the Palestinians as well. Since the US Congress does whatever the Israeli government wants as a matter of course, this is virtually guaranteed, but this too may only be part of what Israel plans to impose.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.