The Palestinian Authority draft will be based on a World Court ruling in July against ‘settlements’ in Judea and Samaria.
By David Isaac, JNS
The Palestinian Authority hopes to pass a resolution against the Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria at the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Israeli diplomats said they haven’t seen the draft of the P.A. resolution, but understand it is based on the nonbinding, advisory opinion the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued on July 19.
The ICJ ruled by 11-to-4 that Israel’s continued presence in the “West Bank” and “East Jerusalem” is illegal under international law and that it must end its presence there “as rapidly as possible.”
Israel chose not to participate in the court’s proceedings and denounced its conclusions.
The diplomats said that the purpose of the P.A.’s General Assembly resolution will be to further isolate Israel and pave the way for other countries to express their opposition to “settlements.”
The 79th Session of the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled to open on Sept. 10.
The P.A. draft, the core of which will be to adopt all decisions issued by the ICJ, is expected to be first presented to the Arab League.
Anne Herzberg, legal adviser at NGO Monitor, told JNS at the time of ICJ’s ruling last month that it “must be seen within the context of the ongoing war to eliminate Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.
“In addition to military action in every conflict, there is also a political warfare component, and this opinion is a clear part of this campaign,” Herzberg said.
“While less than half of U.N. member states sought this opinion, the Lebanese-led court [court President Nawaf Salam is Lebanese] has issued a wide-ranging, ahistorical opinion that completely erases the security reality, attacks Jewish self-determination rights and cultural heritage and eviscerates Oslo and the Middle East peace process.”
Despite the Palestinian Authority’s continued efforts to undermine Israel through lawfare, the Biden administration insists that the P.A. be given control of the Gaza Strip following the cessation of hostilities there.