Palestinian representative at the UNHC revises statement calling rocket fire aimed at Israel a “crime against humanity
On July 9, 2014, the Palestinian representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council Ibrahim Khreisheh stated that at the ICC, every Palestinian rocket launched at Israel would be considered “a crime against humanity.” Less than a week later, he claimed that his statement was taken out of context, as reported in WAFA:
“Palestine’s permanent observer in the UN [and the Palestinian representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council] and all other international organizations in Switzerland, Ambassador Ibrahim Khreisheh, expressed deep sorrow at the fact that several Palestinian media outlets had quoted a report from the Israeli press on an interview he gave to Palestine TV, which had been edited and taken out of context.
In an explanatory statement, he added: ‘I was talking about the legal opinion in case an appeal [is submitted] to the International Criminal Court, based on the recommendations of the investigation committee known as the Goldstone Report, which stated that [while] the Israeli side had committed war crimes, the armed Palestinian groups had committed crimes amounting to crimes against humanity because of their indiscriminate rocket fire.’ He added: ‘The attempt to harm me and the Palestinian leadership now, of all times, is contemptible, since for years I served our people’s cause as a fighter in the ranks of the revolution. I believe in all forms of struggle and resistance, conforming to international humanitarian law, and I am making efforts to settle accounts with Israel, the occupying force, for the crimes it is committing against innocent civilians in the State of Palestine. The attempt to distort [my words] and take [them] out of context is the language of the enemy, not of Palestine.’ Khreisheh said: ‘We must agree on every step we take, especially regarding legal matters and the International [Criminal] Court, so that in the future, we are not blamed when Palestinian officials are accused of breaking the law.’”
“Palestine’s permanent observer in the UN [and the Palestinian representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council] and all other international organizations in Switzerland, Ambassador Ibrahim Khreisheh, expressed deep sorrow at the fact that several Palestinian media outlets had quoted a report from the Israeli press on an interview he gave to Palestine TV, which had been edited and taken out of context.
In an explanatory statement, he added: ‘I was talking about the legal opinion in case an appeal [is submitted] to the International Criminal Court, based on the recommendations of the investigation committee known as the Goldstone Report, which stated that [while] the Israeli side had committed war crimes, the armed Palestinian groups had committed crimes amounting to crimes against humanity because of their indiscriminate rocket fire.’ He added: ‘The attempt to harm me and the Palestinian leadership now, of all times, is contemptible, since for years I served our people’s cause as a fighter in the ranks of the revolution. I believe in all forms of struggle and resistance, conforming to international humanitarian law, and I am making efforts to settle accounts with Israel, the occupying force, for the crimes it is committing against innocent civilians in the State of Palestine. The attempt to distort [my words] and take [them] out of context is the language of the enemy, not of Palestine.’ Khreisheh said: ‘We must agree on every step we take, especially regarding legal matters and the International [Criminal] Court, so that in the future, we are not blamed when Palestinian officials are accused of breaking the law.’”