By ratcheting up tensions with Israel, the referral to the ICC would seem to further diminish prospects of success for an expected U.S. peace plan. The last round of peace talks broke down four years ago without any visible process, and mistrust between Israel and the Palestinians is running high. Israel, which is not a member of the ICC, argues that the court does not have jurisdiction. The ICC is a court of last resort — authorized to take on cases where national authorities cannot or will not launch prosecutions. In 2004, the U.N.’s highest judicial organ, the International Court of Justice, ruled in an advisory opinion that the settlements breached international law.

Source: National Post May 22, 2018 08:18 UTC