The United Nations General Assembly asks the International Court of Justice (IGH) for advice on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. A majority of the 193 UN countries approved a resolution calling for this on Friday, international news agencies report.
The request for advice was supported by 87 countries. 26 countries opposed it, including Israel and the United States. The Netherlands, like 52 other countries, abstained from voting, reports The Times of Israel.
In concrete terms, the UN assembly asks the ICJ for advice on the legal consequences of the Israeli “occupation, settlement and annexation”. The countries also want to know how the court views Israel’s “measures aimed at changing the composition of the population, the character and status of the holy city of Jerusalem and related discriminatory legislation and measures.”
Not binding
The advice of the IGH, which is located in The Hague, is not binding. Israel has already said it will not follow the advice. Before the vote, Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan called the UN “morally bankrupt and politicized” in a written statement and dismissed any decision by the International Court of Justice as “completely illegitimate.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomes the arrival of an opinion from the ICJ through its spokesman. “The time has come for Israel to abide by the law and be held accountable for its continued crimes against our people.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the resolution “despicable” on Saturday. In a video message Netanyahu says: “The Jewish people are not occupiers of their own land, nor occupiers of our eternal capital, Jerusalem, and no UN resolution can distort that historical truth.”