UNITED NATIONS – A United Nations panel on Friday approved a resolution demanding the International Court of Justice to intervene “urgently” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli “annexation”.
The Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly voted in favor of the measure by a margin of 98 in favour, 17 against, and 52 abstentions.
The resolution, titled “Israeli Settlement Practices and Activities Affecting the Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs in the Occupied Territories,” was one of several that focused on the conflict during the session.
It asks the International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, to “urgently issue an advisory opinion” on “Israel’s long-standing occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian territories.”
It also calls for an investigation into Israeli measures “aimed at changing the demographic structure, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem” and says that Israel has adopted “discriminatory legislation and procedures.”
The solution Invites the Court to intervene in the dispute in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The court, an organ of the United Nations, is separate from the International Criminal Court, which is also in The Hague.
The resolution will now be presented to the plenary session of the General Assembly for formal adoption, likely next month.
The last time the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion on the dispute was in 2004.
Countries that voted against the resolution included Israel, Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, several Pacific Island nations and the United States.
??????? Today, voting against the unilateral UN resolution “Israeli practices”. We will never accept the denial of Jewish ties to the Temple Mount. We also prefer dialogue between the two sides over the unilateral intervention of the International Court of Justice Tweet embed in the peace process in the Middle East.
– Czech MFA (CzechMFA) November 11, 2022
Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates voted in favor of the resolution.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, criticized the measure at the committee’s session, describing it as part of a “long series of anti-Israel resolutions.”
“The only goal is to demonize Israel and absolve the Palestinians of responsibility,” Erdan said, adding that the decision “eliminates any hope of a solution.”
Erdan said the decision gives the Palestinians “the perfect excuse to continue boycotting the negotiating table,” noting the Palestinians’ rejection of past peace offers.
He also criticized the decision for referring to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem only by its Arabic name, Haram al-Sharif.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site for Jews as the site of ancient temples, and the third holiest site in Islam as the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
United Nations representatives vote on a resolution calling for the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on November 11, 2022. (Screenshot, used pursuant to Section 27A of the Copyright Act)
The resolution also refers to the Temple Mount as part of the “occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.”
“Freedom of worship is a value they refuse to uphold,” Erdan said, accusing the United Nations of spreading destructive lies that will only perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
השקרים והצביעות של הפלשתינים לא גבול גבול: הם אלה שדחו יוזמת שלום או תוכנית שלום מאז 1947 ועד היום היום ועכשיו הם בתירוץ שהסכסוך לא נפתר כדי לפנות לבית הדין בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג בהאג 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
In response to the resolution, the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations said, “Our people deserve freedom. Our people have the right to freedom.”
The US representative on the panel, Richard Mills, expressed “serious concerns” about the decision, saying it would “add to the mistrust” surrounding the dispute.
“There are no shortcuts to a two-state solution,” he said, adding that the phrase “Temple Mount” was “aimed at discrediting Israel.”
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