Monday, 27 Novenber 2000

Ha'aretz Diplomatic

Correspondent (Embedded image moved to file:

Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami plans to discuss with Prime Minister Ehud Barak the issue of Israel's signing an international war-crimes pact.

Ben-Ami has directed ministry officials to prepare for Israel's War-crimes court may go ahead without US support War-crimes court may go ahead without US support War-crimes court may go ahead without US support signing the pact, which would establish an international war-crimes tribunal.

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Israel has until the end of the year 2000 to decide whether it will put its signature to the pact.

Such a signature would be a symbolic statement of assent only. Should Israel decide to join the international court, next year it would have to carry out a complicated ratification process, one that would entail changes in some domestic laws.

Ben-Ami discussed the war-crimes pact signature issue with Justice Minister Yossi Beilin last week, and the pair decided to collaborate in an effort to promote Israel's signing the document. But officials in the security establishment and Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein oppose Israel's signing the pact.

Until now Israel has refused to sign because the tribunal's draft constitution includes Jewish settlement activity in occupied territories on its list of war crimes. This settlement clause was incorporated due to Syrian and Egyptian lobbying.

Other clauses in the war-crimes tribunal's draft constitution have also dampened enthusiasm here for the pact. These include a demand that classified military information be submitted in accord with any future tribunal request.

It was, however, the court constitution's "settlement clause" that forced Israel to oppose the pact two years ago, when it was first signed by member countries.

The Israel Defense Forces has consistently objected to Israel's signing the pact.