Washington, DC | www.adc.org | July 19, 2024 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) welcomes today’s opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declaring the continued occupation and annexation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, to be unlawful under several international conventions and customary international law.
In its powerful opinion, the ICJ concluded that, “The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying Power, through annexation and assertion of permanent control over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory unlawful.”
The Court further concluded the following:
- The State of Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful;
- The State of Israel is under an obligation to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible;
- The State of Israel is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, and to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
- The State of Israel has the obligation to make reparation for the damage cause to all the natural or legal persons concerned in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
- All States are under an obligation not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
- International organizations, including the United Nations, are under an obligation not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; and
- The United Nations, and especially the General Assembly, which requested this opinion, and the Security Council, should consider the precise modalities and further action required to bring an end as rapidly as possible the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
ADC Legal Director Chris Godshall-Bennett said, “Fifty-seven years of occupation is enough. Today’s opinion recognizes what we have long known to be true—Israel’s occupation and annexation of Palestinian territory is unlawful and aimed at the maintenance of an apartheid state from the river to the sea. While we welcome this opinion, we know that it is not enough to achieve liberation for the Palestinian people, nor to end the ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza.
With this welcome reminder that basic principles of right and wrong enshrined in international law are on our side, we must continue to demand those in power end their support for Israel’s crimes and hold it to account. Nothing less is acceptable.
We call on the United States to immediately comply with its obligations under international law as described in the International Court of Justice’s opinion here and to end all military and diplomatic aid to Israel.”