Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the International Criminal Court the day after a ruling opened the way for the court to hear war crimes cases brought against Israel.
"When the ICC investigates Israel for fake war crimes - this is pure anti-Semitism," Netanyahu said in a speech broadcast late on Saturday.
The court, which was set up to prevent atrocities such as the Holocaust, is now turning against Jews, he said.
The court was claiming that it was a war crime for democratic Israel to defend itself against terrorists "who murder our children and rocket our cities."
Netanyahu criticised the ICC for not investigating "brutal dictatorships" such as Iran or Syria, "which commit horrific atrocities almost daily."
The prime minister pledged to fight what he called a "perversion of justice."
ICC judges ruled on Friday their jurisdiction extends to territories occupied by Israel, including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
The decision opens the possibility of the ICC hearing war crimes cases brought against Israel by the Palestinian government.
Source: DPA
