We can take pride in publishing a
blog titled “Israel
must be brought back to its original size” as back as on Saturday 01
December 2012. The opening paragraph read “The latest announcement of Israel to
build 3000 new settlement homes on occupied land is a slap on the face of
international community that has just recognized Palestine State, accepting the
philosophy of two sovereign states, Israel and Palestine.”
The
court's nonbinding advisory opinion was read aloud by ICJ President
Nawaf Salam, a Lebanese judge and academic. Salam said the court determined
based on "extensive evidence" that Israel is guilty of
confiscating "large areas" of Palestinian land for use by Israeli
settlers, exploiting natural resources, and undermining the local population's
right to self-determination under international law.
The court pointed to "Israel's systematic failure to
prevent or punish" settler violence and "demolition of Palestinian
property" in the West Bank as part of its case that the Israeli government's
actions in the occupied territories are indicative of an attempt to permanently
annex land and forcibly transfer Palestinians from their homes.
"Israel is not entitled to sovereignty in any part of
the occupied Palestinian territory on account of its occupation, nor can
security concerns override the prohibition on acquisition of territory by
force," said Salam.
The ICJ vote against Israel's occupation was 11-4. The court
also voted to call on Israel to evacuate all settlers from the West Bank.
In a 12-3
vote, the ICJ said that all nations "are under an obligation not to
recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the
state of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and not to render aid or
assistance in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence of
the state of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory."
The United States was among the countries that warned
the ICJ against advising that Israel must swiftly end its occupation.
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!"
Nancy Okail, president and CEO of the Center for
International Policy, said in a statement that "while the ICJ's action is
nonbinding, countries that seek to uphold international law should respect the
court's determination and take all appropriate steps to counter the injustices
of the occupation and bring it to a peaceful end."
"At a minimum, countries should not engage in actions
which help to perpetuate the occupation and its discriminatory, annexationist
goals," said Okail.
"In particular, the United States must end the
unconditional supply of arms that Israel uses in connection with the
dispossession and settlement of Palestinian land and other violations of
Palestinian rights," added Okail.
