{"id":2657,"date":"2012-04-03T14:22:56","date_gmt":"2012-04-03T18:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=2657"},"modified":"2012-04-03T14:22:56","modified_gmt":"2012-04-03T18:22:56","slug":"jay-sekulow-major-international-win-for-israel-icc-rejects-legal-assault-aimed-at-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2012\/04\/jay-sekulow-major-international-win-for-israel-icc-rejects-legal-assault-aimed-at-israel.html","title":{"rendered":"Jay Sekulow: Major International Win for Israel – ICC Rejects Legal Assault Aimed at Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It has taken years. Finally, a major victory for Israel in the international arena.<\/p>\n

As you know, we’ve been working to support Israel in a variety of ways – including before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Today, significant news: the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC rejected claims that accused Israel of war crimes in a conflict in Gaza in 2009.<\/p>\n

We presented arguments before the Office of the Prosecutor in support of Israel over the last couple of years. And, this decision represents a significant defeat for those organizations and countries that attempted to demonize Israel by using international law.<\/p>\n

Without question, this is a major victory for Israel in the international arena and a sound defeat for the unfounded \u2018lawfare\u2019 attack leveled against Israel. What\u2019s clear is that this legal assault against Israel not only lacked jurisdiction, but amounted to nothing more than an international campaign to discredit and demonize Israel. We applaud the findings of the Office of the Prosecutor, which paralleled our arguments in defense of Israel. This decision closes the case, removes it from the court\u2019s docket, and brings finality to this issue ending a flawed attempt to use the international legal system in an effort to wrongly punish Israel before the international community.<\/p>\n

In January 2009, the Palestinian Authority attempted to accede to the jurisdiction of the ICC by lodging a declaration accepting the jurisdiction of the ICC for “acts committed on the territory of Palestine since 1 July 2002.”\u00a0 Since only “States” may accede to ICC jurisdiction, the question immediately arose concerning whether Palestine was a “State.”<\/p>\n

For the past three years, the ICC Prosecutor has been examining that question.\u00a0 In a decision released today, the Prosecutor finally determined that there was no firm evidence that Palestine is a state, thereby precluding ICC jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

The ACLJ, along with our international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), filed numerous legal memoranda and other documents with the ICC arguing that Palestine did not meet the international criteria for statehood. I led our legal team in arguments before the ICC Prosecutor opposing Palestinian accession to the ICC jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

The ICC Prosecutor’s language reflects the arguments in our documents filed with the ICC. \u00a0 \u201cThe Rome Statute provides no authority for the Office of the Prosecutor to adopt a method to define the term \u2018State\u2019 under article 12(3) . . . .\u201d\u00a0 Instead, the ICC Prosecutor recognized that \u201cit is for the relevant bodies at the United Nations\u201d to determine whether Palestine qualifies to be a state. The Prosecutor also concluded: \u201c[T]he current status granted to Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly is that of \u2018observer\u2019, not as \u2018Non-member State\u2019\u201d. . . . [This] informs the current legal status of Palestine for the interpretation and application of article 12 [which limits accession to States].\u201d<\/p>\n

The complete decision by the ICC Prosecutor is posted here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thanks to you for standing with us as we worked on this incredibly important issue.<\/p>\n

Jay Sekulow<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories. In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb\u2019s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. In the Bray and Operation Rescue cases, Jay Sekulow protected the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to be free from criminal prosecution for conveying their pro-life message. In McConnell v. FEC, Jay Sekulow protected the right of young people to engage in the political process by donating to the campaign of their choice. In Pleasant Grove, Jay Sekulow paved the way for governments to be able to display Ten Commandments monuments, and other monuments of their choosing, in public parks. Through the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow engages the political, legal, and cultural battles facing America today. He routinely works with Members of Congress, advising them on proposed legislation and representing them in critical legal matters. Jay Sekulow has also testified before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation. Also, in addition to being a successful Supreme Court advocate, Jay Sekulow is a highly respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ\u2019s weekly television program. Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles. Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. The Legal Times has named Sekulow one of \u201cThe 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years\u201d and the National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the \u201c100 Most Influential Lawyers\u201d in the United States. In addition, TIME Magazine listed Jay Sekulow as one of the \"25 Most Influential Evangelicals\" in America. Jay Sekulow\u2019s legal work in defense of religious liberties and human rights extends beyond the United States, having founded the ECLJ in Strasbourg, France, which maintains consultative status with the United Nations. He has also opened offices in Pakistan, Africa, and Jerusalem, Israel. Jay Sekulow is a staunch defender of Israel, presenting arguments before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. His efforts in support of Israel\u2019s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks have been commended by Israeli government officials, one official stating, \"Jay was instrumentally-involved in projects that the President of Israel and the Prime Minister put on our national agenda.\" Jay Sekulow also has a passion for educating the next generation of religious liberty advocates. He is a member of the Regent University Law School Faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law and routinely teaches courses on constitutional law and presents guest lectures. Jay Sekulow has also started educational programs in international human rights law in Strasbourg, France and at Handong University in South Korea. Jay Sekulow is a graduate of Mercer University, earning both a bachelor\u2019s degree and doctor of jurisprudence. Sekulow served on the editorial staff of the Mercer Law Review and graduated cum laude. He later earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American Legal History. Jay Sekulow also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, D.C. Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsels full biography and video. Jay Sekulow on Facebook. Jay Sekulow on Twitter. Jay Sekulow on YouTube.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/author\/jay_sekulow"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2657"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2663,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657\/revisions\/2663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}