Christians for Israel Australia

Webinar: ICC & Israeli Settlements

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Event Details:

Webinar 19 May 2021: The International Criminal Court and Israeli settlements: a travesty of justice?

Jewish communities have been living in the Old City of Jerusalem and the territory known as Judea and Samaria for millennia, alongside the Arab population. Jewish settlement here was restricted by the British during the Mandate period (1922-1948). When Jordan (through illegal use of aggression) took control of these territories in 1948 and named them “the West Bank of the Kingdom of Jordan”, they physically removed all Jews, and destroyed the Jewish synagogues and sacred spaces.

The International Criminal Court has decided to investigate “war crimes committed in the territory of Palestine”. There are two kinds of war crimes it will investigate: (a) crimes concerning the use of force by Israeli and Hamas forces during Gaza conflicts since 2014; and (b) Israel’s “settlements policies” in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The allegation that Israeli settlements policies constitute war crimes raises very important issues. They are the subject of this webinar.

Agenda

  • Opening – Rev. Cornelis Kant, Christians for Israel International
  • Video presentation: what is a “settlement” – Johannes Gerloff
  • The ICC and the “situation in Palestine” – Andrew Tucker, thinc.
  • How do the ICC decisions affect the State of Israel? – Israeli speaker
  • The significance of this issue for Australia and other countries in the A/P region – speaker from the region
  • Q&A

19 May 2021: 7:00 PM AEST

Approx. 75 minutes

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After Israel took control of these territories in the Six Day War in June 1967, many Jews wished to live in the Old City and in Judea and Samaria. Some Jews (such as in Gush Etzion) took possession of properties owned by their forefathers who had been murdered and their houses destroyed by the Jordanians. Others wished to live in parts of Judea and Samaria of Biblical and historical significance.

Since the 1970’s, Israel has facilitated the building of larger settlement blocs, such as Ma’ale Adumim and Ariel. The methods used to do so have been controversial, and these settlement blocs have met strong international condemnation.

Settlements are a subject of Israeli-PLO permanent status negotiations under the Oslo Accords.

Investigating and prosecuting Israeli leaders for enabling these settlements raises many important issues.

  • On what basis has the Court decided that these territories do not belong to Israel?
  • Why is the Court focusing on Israeli settlements, and not (for example) settlements established by Morocco in Western Sahara, Turkey in Northern Cyprus or Russia in Ukraine?
  • Can sensitive historical, religious and political issues be dealt with adequately by a criminal court?
  • Have Jews been forced to live in these territories? If so, will the court distinguish between Jews who have been forced to live in these territories, and others who have gone to live there voluntarily?
  • Doesn’t this amount to a prohibition on Jews living in what they consider to be their ancestral homeland?

It is essential that we understand what is happening, and why this is important.

Don’t miss this important webinar!

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