Interim judgment confirms what we all knew – Israel is an apartheid, occupying state – and orders frothing occupiers to withdraw and make reparations
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has confirmed what all supporters of Palestinian human rights and freedom have known all along: that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory represents a de facto annexation and is completely illegal under international law.
The ICJ found multiple breaches of international law by Israel and has ordered Israel to withdraw all forces from Palestinian territory “as rapidly as possible” and to make full reparations to Palestinians for its innumerable “internationally wrongful acts”. In a ruling that has Israel and its supporters frothing at the mouth, the court has also formally ruled that Israel’s conduct amounts to apartheid.
Announcing the Court’s findings, ICJ president Nawaf Salam said:
The court considers that the violations by Israel of the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force and of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination have a direct impact on the legality of the continued presence of Israel, as an occupying power, in the occupied Palestinian territory.
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.
The court observes that Israel’s legislation and measures impose and serve to maintain a near-complete separation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem between the settler and Palestinian communities. For this reason, the court considers that Israel’s legislation and measures constitute a breach of article 3 of CERD.
Article 3 of CERD condemns:
racial segregation and apartheid and [states will] undertake to prevent, prohibit and eradicate all practices of this nature in territories under their jurisdiction.
Fifty-two states argued before the court in favour of the finding.
Unsurprisingly, Israel responded by condemning the court’s scrutiny of its crimes as ‘antisemitic’ and accused the ICJ of ‘supporting terrorism’. Israeli Foreign Affairs and Security Committee chair Yuli Edelstein called the ruling:
another illusory and despicable decision of the court in The Hague, which was hijacked by Islamists and their supporters, and turned from a court of justice into a court of empowering and encouraging terrorism.
While it slaughters and maims hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, Israel still considers itself the victim – but it is now officially an apartheid state. The UK and other western governments must immediately treat it as what it is, or be complicit in its crimes.
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