Israeli media: Netanyahu calls UN vote on Palestine 'despicable'

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Israeli media reported on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's response to the United Nations General Assembly resolution on Sunday calling on the International Court of Justice to consider the issue of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

According to Israeli Media, Netanyahu called the decision "despicable".

The UN General Assembly approved the resolution late Friday, with 87 countries voting in favor, 24 countries voting against, and 53 countries abstaining, according to Axios, while the Arab countries voted unanimously in favor of it, including those that normalized their relations with "Israel".

The opinion should address the "legal consequences of the Israeli occupation, settlement, and annexation, which include measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem," the resolution reads.

Read next: UN approves Palestine request for ICJ opinion on Israeli occupation

Israeli "i24news" website reported that Netanyahu hinted this will not happen and that "Israel" is not a member of the court.

"The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land nor occupiers in our eternal capital Jerusalem and no UN resolution can distort that historical truth," Netanyahu said in a video message, adding that "Israel" was not bound by the "despicable decision."

Israeli presence in the West Bank is illegal

The Israeli daily "Maariv" stated that the step required to declare the presence of "Israel" in the West Bank as an "illegal occupation" is the Palestinian Authority's way to making the cause international, allegedly enabling Palestinians to "evade the responsibility of addressing the many internal problems of the Authority."

According to the newsletter, "Israel" will not allow international bodies to decide the future of the land and its status. 

Read next: IOF wound 16 Palestinians in occupied West Bank confrontations

The General Assembly of the United Nations had voted on December 16 by an overwhelming majority on a resolution supporting the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

That resolution was adopted by a majority of 168 countries that voted in favor of it, while six countries opposed it. Earlier in the same month, the General Assembly had voted, by a majority, on five resolutions in favor of the Palestinian cause, especially the refugee issue.