{"id":231834,"date":"2024-05-29T06:41:50","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T10:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=231834"},"modified":"2024-05-29T06:42:29","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T10:42:29","slug":"israeli-thuggery-mossad-chief-stalked-threatened-icc-prosecutor-over-war-crimes-probe-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=231834","title":{"rendered":"

ISRAELI THUGGERY!<\/span> Mossad Chief Stalked, Threatened ICC Prosecutor Over War Crimes Probe: Report<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>"},"content":{"rendered":"

ZeroHedge.com<\/p>\n

A new bombshell investigation\u00a0undertaken jointly by the\u00a0Guardian<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0+972 mag<\/em>\u00a0has revealed that the head of Mossad conducted surveillance on the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to her opening a formal investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes.<\/p>\n

Then ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had opened the formal inquiry in 2021 to examine years of allegations of human rights abuse and war crimes against Palestinians committed by Israel’s military. The joint investigation found that\u00a0then Mossad director\u00a0Yossi Cohen used tactics to monitor her that amounted to “stalking”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Yossi Cohen and Benjamin Netanyahu, Flash90<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bensouda at one point was reportedly directly threatened, with one eyewitness account saying that Cohen told Bensouda, “You should help us and let us take care of you.\u00a0You don\u2019t want to be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

It appeared to be a spy op ordered from the highest levels, in order to protect the Israeli government’s international reputation and standing, as well as to oversee damage control. According to\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0report<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Another Israeli source briefed on the operation against Bensouda said the\u00a0Mossad\u2019s objective was to compromise the prosecutor or enlist her as someone who would cooperate<\/strong>\u00a0with Israel\u2019s demands.<\/em><\/p>\n

A third source familiar with the operation said Cohen was acting as Netanyahu\u2019s “unofficial messenger”.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But the threats and tactics didn’t work, given that\u00a0Bensouda\u2019s successor, Karim Khan, pushed through an ICC arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister and his defense chief which came this month based on the investigation Bensouda set in motion.<\/p>\n

According to a particularly damning section in\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0report<\/a>:<\/p>\n

One individual briefed on Cohen\u2019s activities said he had used\u00a0\u201cdespicable tactics\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0against Bensouda as part of an ultimately unsuccessful effort to\u00a0intimidate and influence her<\/strong>. They likened his behavior to \u201cstalking\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Mossad also took a keen interest in Bensouda\u2019s family members and obtained transcripts of secret recordings of her husband<\/strong>, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation. Israeli officials then\u00a0attempted to use the material to discredit the prosecutor<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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In December 2011, Fatou Bensouda was elected by consensus by the Assembly of States Parties to serve as the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This was part of what many are\u00a0calling<\/a>\u00a0a\u00a0decade-long covert “war” waged from the shadows<\/strong>\u00a0by Israeli intelligence agencies against the Hague-based ICC.<\/p>\n

Going back years, this created some degree of paranoia within the ICC prosecution division. There were fears that Israeli intelligence employed assets there or were able to secretly influence decision-making.\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0details\u00a0further<\/a>:<\/p>\n

According to two sources, there were even\u00a0suspicions among senior ICC officials that Israel had cultivated sources within the court\u2019s prosecution division<\/strong>, known as the office of the prosecutor. Another later recalled that although the Mossad \u201cdidn\u2019t leave its signature\u201d, it was an assumption the agency was behind some of the activity officials had been made aware of.<\/em><\/p>\n

Only a small group of senior figures at the ICC, however, were informed that the director of the Mossad had personally approached the chief prosecutor.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Early this month, current ICC chief prosecutor Khan issued a strong statement condemning “all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence its officials.”<\/p>\n