Israel freezes Palestinian tax revenues over ICC approach
Israel has decided to freeze a monthly revenue transfer to the Palestinians in response to President Mahmoud Abbas's approach to the International Criminal Court and other international agencies, an Israeli official said on Saturday.The official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu had decided, in consultation with cabinet ministers, to freeze a planned monthly transfer of 500 million Israeli shekels (about $125 million), which Palestinians rely on to run their government and pay civil servants' salaries.On Wednesday, Abbas signed the Rome Statute - the founding treaty of the ICC - along with 20 international agreements and organizations.Full ICC membership would allow the PA to bring a lawsuit against Israel for war crimes.The move came only hours after the UN Security Council rejected a Palestinian draft resolution calling for a three-year deadline for ending Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land.On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the ICC to reject the Palestinian application.
Last Update: January 04, 2015 11:10