Palestinians accuse Israel of ‘apartheid’ at International Court of Justice

“Palestinians also suffer from colonialism and apartheid,” and “some are outraged by these words, but they should be outraged by our reality,” said Riad al-Maliki, head of Palestinian diplomacy at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The court has been holding hearings since Monday on the legal implications of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967, with an unprecedented 52 countries called to testify. The United States, Russia and even China will appear before the judges during the week-long hearing at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the headquarters of the International Court of Justice.

Riad al-Maliki called on the court to declare the occupation illegal and order it to end “immediately, completely and unconditionally.” “Justice delayed is justice denied, and the Palestinian people have been deprived of justice for too long,” he added, beginning: “It is time to end the double standards” from which they suffer. too long”.

Second request from South Africa rejected

On December 31, 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution requesting a non-binding “advisory opinion” from the International Court of Justice on “the legal consequences arising from Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.” This opinion of the International Court of Justice came amid growing international legal pressure on Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip, provoked by the Hamas attack on October 7.

Even if these opinions are not legally binding, they often have consequences. The International Court of Justice has previously issued advisory opinions on the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 and South Africa’s apartheid occupation of Namibia. In 2004, he also issued an opinion saying that parts of the wall built by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories were illegal and should be demolished.

Israel is not participating in the hearings and has condemned the 2022 UN resolution, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it “despicable” and “shameful.”

These hearings are completely separate from South Africa’s recent applications to the International Court of Justice. Pretoria went to court, arguing that Israel’s current operations in the Gaza Strip constitute a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

On January 26, the court ordered Israel to prevent any possible act of genocide, but did not call for a ceasefire. On Friday it rejected a second request from South Africa asking it to take new measures following Israel’s announcement of an impending military offensive on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have taken refuge.