Key Takeaways
- The ICJ has ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is ‘illegal’ and needs to end as soon as possible.
- Israel has rejected the ICJ’s opinion, calling it ‘fundamentally wrong’ and ‘one-sided’.
- The resolution of the conflict can only be achieved through direct negotiations between the parties.
In an official statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel, the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict, has been rejected by the county of Israel. The UN’s top court, on Friday, July 19, said that the decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel was ‘illegal’, and needed to end as soon as possible.
In response to the court’s advisory opinion, the Israel Foreign Affairs Ministry has said, ‘Unfortunately, the court’s opinion is fundamentally wrong. It mixes politics and law. It injects the politics of the corridors of the UN in New York into the courtrooms of the ICJ in The Hague.’
It further adds, ‘The opinion is completely detached from the reality of the Middle East: while Hamas, Iran and other terrorist elements are attacking Israel from seven fronts – including from Gaza and Judea & Samaria – with the aim of obliterating it, and in the aftermath of the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the opinion ignores the atrocities that took place on October 7, as well as the security imperative of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens.’
Stating that the ICJ’s opinion contradicts the guiding principle that formed the basis of all the peace agreements and arrangements that have been reached to date between Israel and its neighbours, according to which the resolution of the conflict will only be possible through direct negotiations between the parties; Israel further stated, ‘The opinion only distances the possibility of resolving the conflict. The Palestinian Authority, which initiated the move, is not interested in peace, but in slinging mud at Israel. Peace can only be achieved through direct negotiations between the parties, and the Palestinian Authority will not be able to evade this reality by turning to international tribunals.’
‘It should be emphasized that the opinion is blatantly one-sided. It ignores the past: the historical rights of the State of Israel and the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. It is detached from the present: from the reality on the ground and the agreements between the parties. And it is dangerous for the future: it distances the parties from the only possible solution, which is direct negotiations.’, mentions Israel’s official statement further.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel, stated, ‘Furthermore, it should be clarified that the opinion published today is an advisory opinion and it is not legally binding. The State of Israel adheres to the rule of law, and has an independent and respected legal system. It is committed to international law and it will continue to protect its citizens in accordance with international law.’
