(Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2021)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

We reject a ruling out today by the International Criminal Court (ICC) giving itself the power to investigate Israel and the Palestinians for supposed “war crimes” stemming from the 2014 Operation Protective Edge, where Israel defended itself from Hamas terror attacks. The ruling also determined that “Palestine” is a state.

With this ICC decision, we see again that Israel is subject to systemic bias in multilateral organizations. The ICC puts Hamas and Israel on the same playing field, even though Israel’s actions were defensive in the face of Hamas attacks.

We concur with Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu’s assessment: “The ICC ignores the real war crimes and instead pursues the State of Israel,” and further: “In this decision the ICC violated the right of democracies to defend themselves against terrorism, and played into the hands of those who undermine efforts to expand the circle of peace.”

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.