Threats by the head of Mossad and pressure on international justice
Serious threats from former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen to Fatou Bensouda, the immediate past Attorney General of the International Criminal Court (ICC), have recently come to light.
In particular, Cohen warned Bensouda of the risks to her personal safety and that of her family in the context of investigations into possible war crimes committed by Israel in Palestine. These threats were part of a wide-ranging effort by Israeli intelligence services to obstruct the work of international legal institutions.
In response to the ICC's actions, including a request for the arrest of top state officials such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant, measures were taken to pressure Bensouda. In particular, Cohen personally made threats to stop a preliminary investigation into the Palestinian situation launched in 2015. Documents obtained from various sources, including The Guardian and Israeli opposition media, show that these threats were serious and included offers to ‘take care’ of Bensouda in exchange for stopping the investigation.
Israel's domestic intelligence services, such as the Shin Bet, Aman Military Intelligence and Unit-8200 Cyber Intelligence, were actively involved in gathering intelligence information that was passed directly to Netanyahu. These efforts underscore Israel's strategy of using all available means to block international investigations into its actions.
It is also known that Mossad pressure was not limited to Bensouda. Its successor, Karim Khan, has also reported attempts to influence its activities, emphasising its readiness to resist any attempt to obstruct the work of the ICC. This confirms the continuing danger faced by officials of international legal institutions in their work to enforce international law and justice.
From information sent by an anonymous source
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