Abbas Confused By ICC Attention To Country Other Than Israel

“Whose side do they think they’re on?”

Ramallah, June 15 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas voiced bewilderment today at the tension over South Africa’s possible arrest of Sudan President Omar al-Bashir at the behest of the International Criminal Court, saying he was unaware that the ICC was authorized to pursue accused war criminals who are not Israeli.

Bashir visited South Africa to participate in a conference of the African Union. On Sunday, the ICC sent a request to the host country to detain Bashir, who is wanted on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and a litany of other war crimes during Sudan’s civil war. A day of confusion and anticipation followed, during which it remained unclear whether South Africa, which is an ICC member, would comply with the request. This afternoon Bashir was allowed to return to Sudan, but not before the Palestinian President expressed his surprise that the Court would go to any lengths to pursue a non-Israeli.

“We of course oppose the warrant against President Bashir, as any good Arab should,” said Abbas. “The ICC is neglecting its mission as a weapon in the struggle against the Zionist Entity, in favor of persecuting a member of the group with ultimate victim-of-persecution status: Arabs.”

Aides to Abbas said the president was troubled by the impact the Bashir arrest request might have on several pending cases against Israel for IDF actions during last summer’s war in  and around the Gaza Strip. “The credibility of the International Criminal Court suffers when it fails to treat Israeli crimes with the gravity they deserve – namely, that no other crimes deserve attention until Israel is punished,” explained Nabil Shaath. “It is therefore puzzling why the Court would take such an obviously compromising measure as pursuing the arrest of an ally of Israel’s victims.”

“Whose side do they think they’re on?” wondered Shaath.

In general, said another aide, Arabs oppose ICC involvement because that would only perpetuate Western colonialism and paternalism. “Only Arabs are allowed to engage in colonialism,” noted Nabil Aburdeineh. “If someone else comes along and establishes a sovereign entity on land previously colonized by Arabs, they open themselves to ICC prosecution.” Aburdeineh said he was sure that rule was in the ICC charter somewhere, and would have a staffer find it.

This is not the first time the International Criminal Court has invited controversy by not focusing on Israel. “There was a spirited debate among the Palestinian leadership when former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milošević was on trial for war crimes during the 1990’s civil war in the former Yugoslavia,” recalled Shaath. “Some of us felt that expressing solidarity with his Muslim victims was the right move, while others rejected that, arguing that it gave undue attention and weight to crimes that were not perpetrated by Israel.” In the end, Milošević died before his trial was over, sparing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat the awkwardness of having to decide on a reaction.