The long-running Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory has suffered a judicial setback at the hands of the International Court of Justice. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has confirmed what many people already know to be true—that Israel has been unlawfully occupying Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the 1967 war—in a non-binding advisory opinion that was requested by the UN General Assembly. The court also stated that the occupation was preventing the Palestinians from exercising their right to self-determination and requested that the international community refrain from providing Tel Aviv with any kind of support or assistance because of its presence in the occupied territories. The ICJ additionally demanded that Israel evacuate existing settlements and cease construction on new ones. It should be mentioned that Israeli settlers, who are backed by their armed forces, are notorious for using excessive force against Palestinians. In fact, many of Tel Aviv’s most ardent international supporters are horrified by these horrific crimes. Naturally, Israel has rejected the ICJ’s conclusions as “lies,” while the Palestinians have applauded the court’s conclusions. The continued carnage in Gaza serves as evidence of the Zionist state’s belief that it is above the law and that it can consistently trample on the international “rules-based order.” as the world community looks on obediently. The International Court of Justice’s ruling, however, arrives at a critical juncture and provides much-needed context for the Palestinian issue. The Palestinian people are fighting for their rightful rights and their land, which was taken from them twice, in 1948 and 1967. Peace will not return to this old land unless these fundamental issues are handled in a spirit of justice and equity.
The issue still stands: will Israel be forced to leave the occupied areas as the International Court of Justice has ordered by influential elements of the international community? This is unlikely to occur since realpolitik, not values, is what drives the global system. As a result, certain professions are “bad,” like the Russian occupation of Ukraine, and they need to beHowever, certain “good” occupations can be readily disregarded, like Israel’s annexation of Arab land. The issue is that Palestinian rage will continue to flare up, just as it did on October 7 of last year, if the international community continues to ignore the Israeli occupation. Therefore, the only way to end this protracted conflict is to establish a Palestinian state that is viable and free from Israel’s suffocating grip.