Fiji stands by Israel
FIJI is among the only two countries in the world that support Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territory, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague was told on Monday.
The United Nations’ top court has opened a week of hearings into the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, with about 50 states due to address the judges. Fiji is slotted to give its address on Monday next week.
As the legal arguments opened this week, a lawyer representing the Palestinians, Paul Reichler presented to the court his views on the “indefensibility” of Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory.
He said the two “outliers” who support Israel were Fiji and the United States.
“Of all the States that submitted written statements to the court, only Fiji attempted to defend the occupation as lawful,” said Mr Reichler.
“But even Fiji conceded that Israel has annexed East Jerusalem de jure (from the law) and that the application of an occupying power’s laws to the occupied territory, which is the case in the West Bank, constitutes an annexation de facto.
“The only State besides Fiji to defend Israel is the United States.
“This is not surprising. Whatever offences against international law Israel commits, the United States comes forward to shield it from accountability.
“Here, the United States attempts to defend Israel, not by arguing that the occupation is lawful, but that it is neither lawful nor unlawful.”
ICC verbatim record from Monday’s sitting shows Fiji was represented in court by Fiji’s New York-based permanent representative to the UN, Filipo Tarakinikini, Robyn-Ann Mani, second secretary at the Fiji mission in New York, Ana Rokomokoti, head of law and assistant professor at the Fiji National University and two advisors based in The Hague.
The Coalition Government in Fiji has announced it will open a Fiji Embassy in Israel in 2024.