Gaza-based terrorist outfit Hamas and other Palestinian groups cheered the United Nations resolution calling for the International Court of Justice to probe Israel for the alleged “occupation, settlement and annexation” of its ancestral land.
The UN General Assembly on Friday night voted 87 to 26, with 53 abstentions, in favor of a resolution asking the World Court — located in The Hague, Netherlands — to open legal proceedings against the Jewish State.
The resolution passed by the 193–member global body, was soaked in loaded language, and asked the ICJ to suggest legal measures to be taken against Israel for what Palestinians and Arab states call the ‘judaizing’ of Judea, Samaria (the West Bank) and the holy city of Jerusalem.
The resolution urged the ICJ, UN’s international tribunal, to set “legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.” It also asked the court to investigate Israeli measures “aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status” of the holy city of Jerusalem.
It is worth noting that UN-backed ICJ has no jurisdiction over Israel, and has not power to enforce its rulings. “As General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, the ICJ in the Hague will still need to decide whether to pursue such an opinion, with, at this point, an unknown outcome,” the Israeli TV channel i24News reported.
Israel’s newly-elected Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, slammed the ‘despicable’ resolution. “The Jewish nation is not an occupier in its own land and its own eternal capital, Jerusalem,” he said in response to the UN vote.
“We will continue to fight for the truth,” the Israeli leader assured.
The final vote tally, however, does show eroding support for the so-called ‘Palestinian Cause’ at the UN. The Jerusalem Post noted:
When a preliminary November 11th vote was held on the request for an ICJ opinion, 98 nations in favor amounting to just over half of the UNGA voted with the PA in favor of that movie and only 17 countries including Israel opposed it.In the interim, Palestinian support for the resolution dropped by 11 votes, while Israel gained the clear support of an additional nine countries.
The Palestinian Islamic terrorist group Hamas rejoiced at the UN vote, and saw it as big step towards achieving it own jihadist aim of destroying Israel. The PLO-controlled Palestinian Authority echoed the sentiments stated by the Gaza-based terrorist group.
Reuters reported the Palestinian reaction:
“The time has come for Israel to be a state subject to law, and to be held accountable for its ongoing crimes against our people,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority has limited self-rule in the West Bank.Basem Naim, an official with Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, said it was “an important step toward confining and isolating the state of occupation (Israel).”
The statements come as Hamas and Fatah try to reconcile their differences as they step up their onslaught against Israel. “Thousands in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip staged one of the biggest celebrations in years for the rival Fatah movement of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday,” the Israel news website Ynet reported.
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