UN committee asks ICJ to urgently issue opinion on Israeli occupation

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli Media
12 Nov 2022 09:44
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"Israel" criticizes Ukraine for voting in favor of a resolution requesting the ICJ to urgently render an advisory opinion on the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The committee voted in favor of the resolution by a margin of 98 sides in favor, 17 opposed, and 52 abstentions.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Fourth Committee approved on Friday a resolution requesting the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to "render urgently an advisory opinion" on "Israel’s" "prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian territory."

The committee voted in favor of the resolution by a margin of 98 sides in favor, 17 opposed, and 52 abstentions.

Titled "Israeli practices and settlement activities affecting the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories," the resolution also calls for an investigation into the Israeli occupation's violations "aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem," while adding that "Israel" has adopted "discriminatory legislation and measures."

Next month, the resolution will head to a UNGA plenary session for official approval. It is noteworthy that the ICJ last issued an advisory opinion on the Palestinian cause and Israeli violations in 2004.

98 sides voted in favor of the resolution, 17 opposed, and 52 abstained from voting

In response, Israeli occupation Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, claimed that the resolution was part of a "long line of anti-Israel resolutions."

"The only purpose is to demonize Israel and exempt the Palestinians from responsibility," Erdan claimed, adding that the resolution was "destroying any hope for a resolution."

He also insisted that the approved resolution gives Palestinians "the perfect excuse to continue boycotting the negotiating table," accusing the UN of adopting "destructive falsehoods that will only perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

On its part, the Palestinian delegation to the UN underlined that "our people deserve freedom. Our people are entitled to freedom."

Commenting on the measure, the US representative to the UNGA Fourth Committee, Richard Mills, unsurprisingly expressed his country's "serious concerns" about the resolution, saying that "there are no shortcuts to a two-state solution."

Israeli occupation criticizes Ukraine for voting in favor of resolution

In the same context, the Israeli occupation Ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, criticized Kiev for voting in favor of the resolution.

On Twitter, Brodsky said that Ukraine's support "of the UN resolution ‘Israeli Practices’, denying Jewish ties to Temple Mount and calling for ICJ advisory opinion is extremely disappointing."

"Supporting anti-Israeli initiatives in the UN doesn’t help to build trust between [Israel] and [Ukraine]," he added.

It is noteworthy that Ukraine has repeatedly requested the Israeli occupation to shift its position of refusing to provide Kiev with military aid to use against Russia, despite several media reports talking about military cooperation between "Israel" and Ukraine, which circumvents "Tel Aviv's" decision in this regard.

In late October, Ukrainian Ambassador to "Israel", Yevgen Korniychuk, told The Hill newspaper that Ukraine asked the US to put pressure on the Israeli occupation to deliver weapons and monitor "Israel's" compliance with imposed sanctions on Russia.

Earlier, Brodsky said that "Tel Aviv" was ready to support Kiev but without crossing the "red lines" that could undermine its security.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in late September that he was "shocked" the Israeli occupation was not joining the West in supplying Kiev with weapons amid the Ukraine war.