ICJ ruling could help propel boycott against Israel
The ICJ ruling could provide an important ground for the boycott movement to obtain sanctions against Israeli settlements, for instance, within the EU community.
The EU continues to trade with Israeli companies operating in the occupied Palestinian territory. They only ask that these products be labelled as such. Today’s ruling could help propel the movements to boycott and put more pressure on Israel.
This is a win for the Palestinian Authority, which has made the international arena its main front in the battle against the occupation. The issue is that there is no positive correlation between what is going on on the ground and what is going on in the international arena.
While Palestinians are making gains in the international courts, the situation on the ground is getting worse. International law, as important as it is, gives us the moral compass, but so far, it has failed to provide security, freedom and self-determination.
‘A big victory for the Palestinian cause’: Barghouti
Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, told Al Jazeera the ICJ opinions are exactly what Palestinians were hoping for.
“It represents not only a historic decision, but a big blow to the Israel as a state, an establishment, a government and as settlers. It is a big victory for the Palestinian cause,” he said from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
“From a legal perspective, Israel is already indicted and condemned for its policies, for its occupation, settlements, and illegal apartheid rule. The highest legal structure in the world has confirmed there is occupation and it is illegal.”
Barghouti said Israel can no longer claim that occupied territory is disputed, that the Geneva Convention does not apply to Palestinian territory, or that there is no system of apartheid.
“It is now the duty of everybody that respects international law to apply this resolution by demanding boycott, divestment and sanctions,” he said.
“I don’t have high hopes that the UN Security Council will do this, because we know that the council is controlled by the American and perhaps British veto. But the most important thing is that this provides the basis for the creation of a global anti-apartheid movement against the Israeli system and occupation.”
ICJ ruling a ‘historic vindication of Palestinians’ rights’: Amnesty
The ICJ opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful “is a historic vindication of Palestinians’ rights,” Amnesty International has said in a statement.
“The International Court of Justice has issued its opinion and the conclusion is loud and clear: Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territories are unlawful, and its discriminatory laws and policies against Palestinians violate the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid,” Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s senior director for research, advocacy, policy and campaigns, said.
“This is a historic vindication of the rights of Palestinians who have endured decades of cruelty and systematic human rights violations stemming from Israel’s unlawful occupation.”
Guevara Rosas called on Israel’s allies to “take unequivocal action to ensure Israel ends its unlawful occupation” and on Israel to “withdraw its forces from all parts of the occupied territories, including the Gaza Strip and remove all settlers from the West Bank”.
