In a move which surprised precisely nobody, the International Court of Justice in the Hague delivered a non-binding ruling Friday claiming Israel’s rule in “the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967” is “illegal,” and it is obligated to bring its “unlawful presence” in that territory to an end “as rapidly as possible.”
As if Israel did not already have enough on its collective mind with a full-blown nine-month long war with Hamas, as well as daily drone, rocket and missile strikes from Iranian proxies in Lebanon and Yemen, even the country’s political rulers viewed the likelihood of this opinion with a significant degree of trepidation.
Although the opinion is not binding, there are fears it could hold sway with the International Criminal Court, which is thought to be close to issuing arrest warrants for both Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as further erode Israel’s standing – as well as support for it – in other international bodies and arenas.
Israel did not take part in the hearings, instead submitting a written contribution describing the questions the court had been asked as “prejudicial” and “tendentious.” […]
– Read More: www.wnd.com
