*The International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is unlawful, the settlements must be evacuated, and Palestinians must be compensated and allowed to return to their lands.* by David Kattenburg, Mondoweiss, July 19, 2024 https://mondoweiss.net/2024/07/in-a-historic-ruling-icj-declares-israeli-occupation-unlawful-calls-for-settlements-to-be-evacuated-and-for-palestinian-reparations/
In a scathing Advisory Opinion sure to tighten the legal screws on Israel and place its Western allies in a huge bind, the world’s supreme judicial body declared today that Israel’s 57-year occupation and settlement of the West Bank and East Jerusalem are unlawful, that both must end, that settlements must be evacuated, and that Palestinians — denied their inalienable right to self-determination – must be compensated for their losses and allowed to return to their lands. “The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying Power, through annexation and an assertion of permanent control over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory unlawful,” Lebanese court President Nawaf Salam told the packed court chambers at the Peace Palace in The Hague. . . . ... Advisory Opinions from the UN’s supreme judicial body are not binding. ... They are the most authoritative expressions of international law, however, and carry enormous political weight. . . . Today’s ruling is the court’s response to a request for an Advisory Opinion on the ‘Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem’, and on how those policies and practices affect the “legal status” of Israel’s occupation, referred to it late last year by the UN General Assembly, in a resolution Israel and its Western allies moved heaven and Earth to stave off. . . . “This will now be a centerpiece of virtually every General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolution from now on,” former UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk told Mondoweiss, in anticipation of the ruling, a few days prior. “The word ‘illegal’ will be in front of ‘occupation’ from now on,” says Lynk. Israel’s war on Gaza has deepened Israel’s isolation, says Lynk. “A ruling of this sort coming from the International Court of Justice will, I think, only accelerate that kind of isolation.” #. #. # *ICJ Tells Israel to End Occupation of Palestinian Territories, Pay Reparations* *In an advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice reaffirmed the Palestinian right to self-determination.* by Michel Moushabeck, Truthout, July 19, 2024 https://truthout.org/articles/icj-tells-israel-to-end-occupation-of-palestinian-territories-pay-reparations/ In a landmark opinion issued today, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said that Israel’s 57-year occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip is in breach of international law. The proceedings came out of a UN resolution passed in December of 2022. In the resolution, the UN General Assembly requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.” The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the UN’s principal judicial organ that adjudicates disputes between member states and provides advisory opinions on international legal matters. This case is separate from the one brought forth by South Africa last year, in which the ICJ provisionally ruled that Israeli practices in Gaza are plausibly genocidal. ... . . . While the Biden administration continues its insincere rhetorical support for the two-state solution, the U.S. has remained Israel’s staunchest supporter, always using its veto power to shield it from accountability and prevent Palestinian statehood despite Israel’s repeated violations of international law and UN Security Council resolutions. The Palestinian people have faced a long history of injustice — from colonialism to displacement to present-day apartheid. ... # # # *ICJ Says Israel's Occupation of Palestinian Territory Is Illegal and Must End* *The United Nations' highest court issued an advisory opinion arguing that Israel's large-scale expansion of settlements amounts to annexation, a crime under international law.* by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, July 19, 2024 https://www.commondreams.org/news/international-court-of-justice-israel-occupation The International Court of Justice said Friday that Israel's decades long occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful and must end "as rapidly as possible." . . . The ICJ handed down its opinion as the court is also considering a genocide case brought against Israel over its ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip—a devastating war that the court did not weigh as part of its new advisory opinion. Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, applauded the ICJ's call for the dismantling of Israeli settlements and reparations for Palestinians harmed by Israel's occupation. "The ICJ ruling in essence confirmed what the majority of people (except the West) already knew and have recognized: that Israel's occupation is illegal, that it is still occupying Gaza, it is annexing the West Bank, and Israel is an apartheid state," Parsi wrote on social media. "If there is any respect for international law, Western media must now include this in all its Israel coverage. Most don't even describe settlements as illegal!" . . . -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. 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