Since the International Criminal Court has announced that they are investigating Israeli settlements for potential war crimes, many in the pro-Israel community have noticed a double standard. But that double standard was accidentally revealed in a recent article in TOI.

In the interview, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda was asked by Ahren the following question:

Why do you seek to investigate Israeli settlements as possibly constituting war crimes, yet appear utterly unfazed by Turkish settlements in Northern Cyprus or Russian settlements in Crimea? In both Cyprus and Ukraine, the case for the court’s jurisdiction is much easier to decide than in the Palestine situation?

At this point, Bensouda couldn’t give a coherent explanation simply explaining that she has “received a number of communications in relation to Northern Cyprus”. And that her “assessment” continues and that she intends to “publish her findings later this year” as with Crimea.

The entire text of her answer is as follows:

This question makes a number of assumptions.

It is well known that we have received a number of communications in relation to Northern Cyprus. Our assessment in connection with this situation continues. I intend to publish my findings on this preliminary examination later this year. Crimea is also within the scope of the ongoing preliminary examination with respect to Ukraine, which is well advanced.

Head of the Kohelet Policy Forum, Eugene Kontorovich, noticed the failure:

Fascinating bit in ⁦@RaphaelAhren⁩ interview w ICC prosecutor where she fails to provide any explanation why she decided 150k Russian settlers in Crimea not war crime. Also hints she will decide same re settlers in N.Cyprus. Cc ⁦@MarkKersten⁩ ⁦@opiniojuris⁩ pic.twitter.com/4hI4Th3jQx

— Eugene Kontorovich (@EVKontorovich) January 13, 2020

https://www.timesofisrael.com/icc-prosecutor-netanyahus-anti-semitism-charge-is-particularly-regrettable/