UN panel asks Int’l Court of Justice to urgently weigh in on Israeli ‘annexation’
ICJ to issue ‘advisory opinion’ on ‘occupation, settlement of Palestinian territory’; Israel says ‘only purpose is to demonize,’ raps panel for ignoring Jewish ties to Temple Mount
Luke Tress is a JTA reporter and a former editor and reporter in New York for The Times of Israel.
UNITED NATIONS — A United Nations committee on Friday approved a resolution to request the International Court of Justice “urgently” weigh in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli “annexation.”
The UN General Assembly Fourth Committee voted in favor of the measure by a margin of 98 in favor, 17 opposed and 52 abstentions.
The resolution, titled “Israeli practices and settlement activities affecting the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories,” was one of several focused on the conflict during the session.
It requests that The Hague-based ICJ “render urgently an advisory opinion” on Israel’s “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian territory.”
It also calls for an investigation into Israeli measures “aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem” and says Israel has adopted “discriminatory legislation and measures.”
The resolution calls on the court to weigh in on the conflict in accordance with international law and the UN charter. The court, a UN organ, is separate from the International Criminal Court, which is also in The Hague.
The resolution will now head to the General Assembly plenary for official approval, likely next month.
The ICJ last issued an advisory opinion on the conflict in 2004.
The countries voting against the resolution included Israel, Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, several Pacific island nations and the United States.
???????? is voting today against one-sided UN resolution 'Israeli Practices'. We will never accept denial of Jewish ties to Temple Mount. Also, we prefer dialogue of both sides to unilateral involvement of the International Court of Justice @CIJ_ICJ in the Middle East Peace Process.
— Czech MFA (@CzechMFA) November 11, 2022
Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates all voted in favor.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan blasted the measure at the committee hearing, calling it part of a “long line of anti-Israel resolutions.”
“The only purpose is to demonize Israel and exempt the Palestinians from responsibility,” Erdan said, adding that the resolution was “destroying any hope for a resolution.”
The resolution gives the Palestinians “the perfect excuse to continue boycotting the negotiating table,” Erdan said, highlighting the Palestinians’ rejection of previous peace offers.
He also lashed the resolution for referring to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount only by its Arabic name, Haram al-Sharif.
The Temple Mount is the holiest place for Jews as the site of the ancient temples, and the third holiest site in Islam as the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The resolution also refers to the Temple Mount as part of “Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”
“Freedom of worship is a value they refuse to uphold,” Erdan said, accusing the UN of peddling in “destructive falsehoods that will only perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
השקרים והצביעות של הפלשתינים לא יודעים גבול: הם אלה שדחו כל יוזמת שלום או תוכנית שלום מאז 1947 ועד היום, ועכשיו הם משתמשים בתירוץ שהסכסוך לא נפתר כדי לפנות לבית הדין בהאג? הסכסוך הזה לא נפתר בגלל תמיכתם בטרור, בגלל השנאה שלהם וסרבנותם לשלום. צפו בקטע>> pic.twitter.com/gNkHExXxqt
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) November 11, 2022
The Palestinian delegation to the UN said in response to the resolution, “Our people deserve freedom. Our people are entitled to freedom.”
The United States representative to the committee, Richard Mills, expressed “serious concerns” about the resolution, saying it would “magnify distrust” surrounding the conflict.
“There are no shortcuts to a two-state solution,” he said, adding that the Temple Mount phrasing was “intended to denigrate Israel.”
