(VOVworld) – Israel will not let its Israel Defense Forces soldiers and officers be hauled before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on war crimes charges.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a statement after wining his hard-line Likud party primary in Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 1, 2015.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the statement at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, following Palestine’s application for ICC membership. In retaliation for the Palestinian move, Israel halted payment to the Palestinians of 127 million USD in tax revenues which should have been handed over last Friday.