U.S. tells court not to urge withdrawal
U.N. body considering new advisory to Israel
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United States said Wednesday the United Nations’ top court should not issue an advisory opinion that says Israel should “immediately and unconditionally withdraw” from territories sought for a Palestinian state.
Acting State Department legal adviser Richard Visek said the 15-judge panel at the International Court of Justice should not seek to resolve the decadeslong Israeli-palestinian conflict “through an advisory opinion addressed to questions focusing on the acts of only one party.”
Visek spoke on the third day of hearings at the court into a request by the General Assembly for a non-binding advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s policies.
He said the court “can address the questions before it within the established framework based on the land for peace principle and within the parameters of established principles of occupation law.”
Visek added that the court’s opinion “will have consequences for the parties to the conflict and for the ongoing efforts of all of those working to achieve a durable peace.”
The U.S. arguments at the world court came a day after Washington vetoed an Arab-backed U.N. resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire of the Israel-hamas war, saying it would interfere with negotiations on a deal to free hostages held by Hamas terrorists.
The war started when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking nearly 250 others hostage. Since then, more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory military offensive, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.
“Hamas’s attacks, hostage-taking and other atrocities, the ongoing hostilities and the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the violence in the West Bank reinforce the United States’ resolve to urgently achieve a final peace that includes the full realization of Palestinian self-determination,” Visek said.
Visek’s comments were preceded Wednesday by condemnations of Israel’s policies by representatives of Colombia, Cuba and Egypt.
The court will likely take months to issue its non-binding advisory opinion.
In a written submission filed last year, Israel argued that the questions put to the court are prejudiced, ignore “Israel’s right and duty to protect its citizens,” fail to address Israeli security concerns or acknowledge past agreements with the Palestinians to negotiate “the permanent status of the territory, security arrangements, settlements, and borders.”