January 2, 2015

In the wake of the Palestinian Authority applying for Palestine to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue war-crimes charges against Israel and challenge Israeli settlement building, the US responded with threats of repercussions for Palestine's actions.

SEE: Congress Warns Palestinians Over International Criminal Court Move (The Jewish Daily Forward)

The US should be upholding international law, rather than isolating itself further from the international community on the Palestinian issue. Joining the ICC is a step in the right direction for Palestinian self-determination, but rather, the Palestinians are being told by the US and others through the UN Security Council that they cannot have a state and that they cannot file any grievance with an international court of criminal justice.

The only logical conclusion is that the US and others are supporting the Occupation and they are leading the way in suppressing a central issue for Muslims worldwide. After decades of failed US-led negotiations between Palestine and Israel, the Palestinians are now taking steps to pursue statehood in the international arena.