LONDON: US State Department spokesman Ned Price faced a grilling on Wednesday when discussing the recent International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to investigate alleged war crimes in Palestine.
The Mar. 3 announcement would put senior Israeli political figures and members of the armed forces at risk of prosecution if they are found guilty.
The decision was heavily criticized in Israel and the US, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying the ICC sought to “target Israel unfairly.”
During a press briefing, Price took a question from Associated Press’ Matt Lee, who asked where the Palestinian people should go for justice and accountability if they could not rely on the ICC.
Price attempted to answer the question, by echoing the Biden administration’s denouncement of the ICC decision, but was interrupted several times by Lee.
The AP journalist asked Price a dozen times: “Where do they go?”
A social media clip of the tense encounter has amassed tens of thousands of views since it was posted on Thursday.
Announcing the investigation on Wednesday, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said it would be carried out “independently, impartially and objectively, without fear or favor.”
The probe was welcomed by the Palestinians and global human rights organizations.
However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the decision, calling it “absurd,” “undiluted antisemitism” and “the height of hypocrisy.”
