A journalistic investigation published in the last few hours revealed how Israel’s secret services would have pressured the International Court of Justice (ICC) so that its prosecutors would put aside the investigations they were carrying out against senior officials of the Israeli government for war crimes.
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The investigation was carried out by the British newspaper Guardian and Israeli magazines +972 and Local Callwhich revealed how “Israel waged a nearly decade-long secret ‘war’ against the court”, according to the article in these media.
The article points directly to the former director of Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency. According to the story, the official allegedly threatened the former ICC chief prosecutor in secret meetings to get her to drop an investigation into war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Guardian maintains that Cohen’s covert contacts with Bensouda occurred during the years prior to the decision to open a formal investigation to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Cohen’s involvement in the operation against that court occurred, according to this, when he was director of the Mossad and his activities received authorization at a high level and were justified on the basis that that court posed a threat against military personnel, according to a Israeli official.
Another Israeli source cited by the newspaper with information about the operation against Bensouda revealed that Mossad’s goal was to “compromise” the prosecutor as if she were someone who would cooperate with Israeli demands.
How did the spy operation work?
Four sources confirmed that Bensouda had informed a small group of senior Court officials about Cohen’s attempts to “influence” her.
The investigation also details that thanks to Israeli access to the Palestinian telecommunications infrastructure, intelligence agents were able to capture the calls. “without installing spyware” on the devices of ICC officials.
“Five sources familiar with Israel’s intelligence activities said that Israel routinely eavesdropped on phone calls made by Bensouda and his staff with Palestinians. By preventing Israel from accessing Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the ICC was forced to conduct much of its investigation by telephone, making it more susceptible to surveillance,” the investigation says.
Another person with access to Cohen’s activities also indicated that he used “despicable tactics” against the lawyer as part of his efforts to “intimidate and influence her.”
The Mossad was also interested, according to this, in the lawyer’s relatives and obtained copies of secret recordings of her husband. Israeli officials later tried to use that material to discredit the prosecutor.
Finally, The investigation maintains that the Israelis had about 60 people under surveillance – half of them Palestinian and the other half UN officials, ICC staff and other countries.
“In The Hague, Bensouda and his senior staff were alerted by security advisers and through diplomatic channels that Israel was monitoring their work,” they point out.
*With Efe
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