Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al Maliki on Monday, February 19th, made damning allegations against Israel at the International Court of Justice, labeling its actions as apartheid.
Maliki called for the global court to officially declare Israel’s ongoing occupation of territories earmarked for a Palestinian state as unlawful, stressing the urgency for an immediate and unconditional cessation to pave the way for a viable two-state solution.
The foreign minister’s plea was made against the backdrop of the longstanding Israel-Hamas conflict, emphasizing the critical state of affairs in the occupied regions, including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and annexed East Jerusalem.
Maliki highlighted the severe hardships faced by Palestinians, pointing out the dire conditions of 2.3 million residents in Gaza, particularly children, who are enduring extreme adversity.
He said, “More than 3.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank, including in Jerusalem, are subjected to colonization of their territory and racist violence that enables it.”
Paul Reichler, an international law expert representing Palestine, accused Israel’s governmental policies of being intricately aligned with the objectives of the Israeli settler movement, aimed at consolidating control over the occupied territories and integrating them into Israel’s domain.
The proceedings were initiated following a request by the United Nations General Assembly for an advisory opinion on Israel’s occupation policies, a decision that is anticipated to take several months.
The 15 judges on the court will examine, as the General Assembly wrote, “the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.”
Israel’s stance, articulated in a submission to the court, defended its actions as necessary for national security and criticized the inquiry as biased, arguing it overlooked existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements and the complexities of the conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the legitimacy of the hearings, viewing them as part of a Palestinian strategy to bypass direct negotiations.
Maliki referenced the U.N. charter’s guarantee of self-determination, emphasizing that the Palestinian people have long been deprived of this fundamental right, suffering under conditions of colonialism and apartheid.
He implored the court to affirm Palestinian self-determination rights and to declare the occupation unequivocally illegal.
The foreign minister said, “This occupation is annexation and supremacist in nature.”
Following the hearing, Maliki expressed optimism that the court’s ruling could foster peace, allowing Palestinians and Israelis to coexist in harmony.
The hearings have attracted global attention, with 51 countries and three international organizations set to present their views.
Palestinians and prominent rights organizations contend that the occupation extends well beyond defensive measures, evolving into an apartheid system. They argue that settlement construction on occupied territories reinforces this system, granting Palestinians second-class status.
Israel vehemently denies any allegations of apartheid.
In the 1967 Middle East conflict, Israel gained control over the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinians aspire to establish an independent state encompassing all three regions.
Israel views the West Bank as contested territory, advocating for its future to be determined through diplomatic negotiations.
