The ICJ has ruled Israel an illegal power. Impose sanctions now!
Demonstration by the anti-occupation bloc of Israel’s anti-government protests marking 56 years since the start of the military occupation, on Dizengoff Street,Tel Aviv, 3 June 2023
Mustafa Barghouti writes in The New Arab on 22 July 2024:
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision issued last Friday constitutes, from a legal perspective, a great victory for the Palestinian people and an unprecedented and stinging blow to Israel and its fascist government.
All controversy regarding the nature of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) – which has been confirmed to include the entirety of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip – has been laid to rest, with these territories unambiguously declared to be unlawfully occupied by Israel.
They are not recognised as Jewish territory, as Netanyahu claims, nor as “disputed” territory, as the Israeli Labor Party and other Zionist parties claim. The ICJ decision also confirmed the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the OPT, which Israel has always denied is relevant in this case.
Moreover, it clarified that the settlements are unlawful, and all of them must be removed. Not only this, but the Palestinians must be compensated for the harm inflicted on them throughout the occupation’s duration – for all land seized, every home demolished, and every violation perpetrated.
The decision also confirmed that Israel is practising a system of apartheid against the Palestinians. This provides a strong legal basis for a global campaign to resist the Israeli apartheid regime.
The ICJ decision holds all states — and the UN General Assembly and the Security Council — responsible for implementing international law and enacting the court’s ruling. It demands that these bodies and states do not accept Israel’s illegal presence in the OPT, its colonising settlement enterprise, extend any support for its unlawful presence or act to preserve the existent occupation and its accompanying system of racial discrimination.
In fact, the decision went further – demanding that the UN and its member states look into additional measures they can take to end Israel’s unlawful presence in the OPT. This demand, in conjunction with the legal grounds of the decision, together form a solid foundation for sanctions to be imposed on Israel, as well as boycott and divestment measures — as it has been unequivocally identified as a rogue entity acting outside the bounds of international law.