On December 8, 2014, the International Criminal Court (the Court) recognized Palestine as an observer state and granted non-state party observer status.  According to a news article, Palestine may now “ratify the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court,” which could open the door to possible investigation and prosecution of war crimes in the Palestinian Territories.  For now, the recognition is “symbolic but significant nonetheless, considering how elusive statehood has proved for the Palestinians.”