The Israeli government said on Thursday it would boycott a hearing at the international court of justice (ICJ) at The Hague on the legality of the "security fence" under construction in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The prime minister's office said that Ariel Sharon and an inner core of Cabinet ministers made the decision after legal advisers said there was no point in fighting the case because the government had already submitted written arguments challenging the court's jurisdiction in a "political" case.
PHOTO: AFP
The submission said that the court "has no authority to discuss the terrorism prevention fence since it concerns Israel's basic right of self-defence."
"The professional teams made their recommendations after considering the positions of major countries, including ... the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Australia."
Earlier this month, the US and the EU backed Israel's rejection of the court's right to hear the case. The court is expected to rule on whether it has jurisdiction when the hearing opens in 10 days.
The Palestinian legal team said it was withholding comment until the Israelis had formally notified the court. But an official, who declined to be named, said the boycott reflected the weakness of Israel's position.
"The bottom line is if you don't have a legal case, what's the point in going?" he said.
"It's unfortunate that other countries support Israel on the question of the jurisdiction of the ICJ. We're constantly telling Palestinians that violence doesn't pay off and here's a legal way to fight their cause. But now that avenue is closed to them, so what choices does it leave?" he said.
Yesterday's decision was expected, even though the Cabinet was divided. The justice minister, Yosef Lapid, argued that there was still a public relations battle to be won by vigorously presenting Israel's case in court.
He had previously warned the Cabinet that the court hearing could be a first legal step towards Israel being treated as a pariah, like apartheid-era South Africa, which could include international boycotts. But the Israeli government is counting on the US to veto any attempt to use a court ruling to pressure the UN security council into action over the barrier.
The case was filed by the UN General Assembly, which voted in December to ask the world court to make a non-binding ruling on the legality of the steel and concrete barrier, which is expected to be up to 688km long and entirely surround the bulk of the Palestinian population.
While the Israeli government will not be in court, officials are backing efforts by the Israeli rescue service, Zaka, to put a bus destroyed by a suicide bomber on display near the court.
Hundreds of Israelis, including the families of those killed in bombings, are to fly to The Hague and demonstrate against the court hearing.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese