Senator Dianne Feinstein on PA's move to Join International Criminal Court.

Dear Mr. Patterson: Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about recent actions taken by the Palestinian Authority to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).  I appreciate the time you took to write, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.  On January 6, 2015, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon formally approved recent documents submitted by the Palestinian Authority to accede to the Rome Statute and become a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).   As you may know, the United States has publicly stated opposition to Palestinian efforts to join the ICC.  I believe that unilateral actions by either Israel or the Palestinians, including the Palestinians' move to join the ICC, make achieving a two-state solution more difficult.  Please know that I am strongly committed to Israel's continued survival as a safe, secure, and democratic country.  As Vice Chairman of the of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the strength of the American-Israeli relationship, one based on shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.  The recent violence in the region reaffirms the need to resume peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians in order to create a viable two-state solution.  As the United States has done in the past, I believe we must always stand ready to be an active partner in this process.   Please know that I have made careful note of your thoughts on this issue, and I will be sure to keep your concerns in mind as I continue to monitor the situation.  Once again, thank you for writing.  I hope that you will continue to keep me informed about issues of importance to you.  Should you have any further comments or questions, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C., office at (202) 224-3841 or visit my website at www.feinstein.senate.gov.  Best regards. Sincerely yours,   Dianne Feinstein          United States Senator Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the nation are available at my website, feinstein.senate.gov. And please visit my YouTube, Facebook and Twitter for more ways to communicate with me.