Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, lauded the opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on 19 July regarding the illegality of the ongoing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza for the past 57 years.
Mr. Aboul Gheit emphasised that while the ruling may seem logical and natural to all supporters of the Palestinian cause, it represents an important legal milestone. It helps establish the Palestinian narrative and provides the legitimacy and legal credibility needed amidst the occupying power’s continued efforts to obscure the nature and origin of the conflict to tighten its grip on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Gamal Roshdy, the spokesman for the Secretary-General, quoted Mr. Aboul Gheit as saying, "Israel’s racist practices in the occupied Palestinian territories do not need a statement to demonstrate their atrocity and complete violation of human rights values, but the ruling provides conclusive legal evidence to silence all void Israeli arguments."
He added that the court's advisory opinion carries significant legal and moral weight, stressing the description of Israeli policies as racist, highlighting the dangerous consequences of the continued occupation, and underscoring the necessity of ending it as soon as possible.
He noted that the proceedings in this case, since its referral from the United Nations General Assembly to the Court late last year, were a true epic, with extensive and professional pleadings by several countries, particularly highlighting the League’s role in these pleadings.
