It was an eventful today at the court, with presentations from South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile. Canada was also initially scheduled to present its arguments but decided to pull out at the last minute. The question of whether the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is unlawful was very clearly answered by all 10 countries: It is absolutely unlawful and it should end immediately. South Africa argued that this is a colonial apartheid system and that settlements have to be dismantled and reparations paid. Even countries that have very strong ties with Israel, like the Netherlands and Belgium, had very strong words […]
The International Court of Justice is hearing submissions on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. It will consider the legal consequences of Israel’s ongoing breach of Palestinians’ right to self-determination, as well as how Israeli policies impact not only the occupied areas, but also other countries and the United Nations. Advisory opinions by the UN’s top court are non-binding but they carry significant moral and legal authority. So when a decision is announced, it will have global implications? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Riad Malki — Foreign minister for the State of Palestine Ardi Imseis — Legal counsel for the State of Palestine Nour Odeh — Palestinian political analyst Mehran Kamrava — […]
The International Court of Justice has begun a series of hearings on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine in The Hague. For five days, the UN’s highest court will be considering the legal implications of Israel’s policies and actions, and what they mean for all other UN member states. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki made the opening statement, with a reminder of the numerous aspects of Palestinian life affected by Israeli occupation. Paul Reichler is the lawyer representing Palestine in front of the ICJ. He says Israeli occupation is permanent and this in itself is a violation of international law. Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith is monitoring the latest developments at The […]
