The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) welcomes the overnight ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel’s 57-year-old occupation of, and construction of settlements in, Palestinian territories is illegal, and that the state’s actions meet the legal definitions of apartheid.
This decisive ruling corroborates decades of Palestinian experience and suffering, and underscores extensive reports and evidence from the UN, legal experts, human rights organisations, and global advocacy groups.
The ruling concluded that Israel is forcibly dispossessing Palestinians of their lands, exploiting water sources, forcibly annexing large parts of the occupied territory, and is violating Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
It also stated that Israel is violating Article 3 of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, finding Israel guilty of “racial segregation and apartheid.”
As well as ruling that settlers be removed from these illegal settlements, Palestinians returned to their properties and that Israel offer full reparations to Palestinians who have lost land and property, the finding has critical implications for the international community, including Australia.
It affirms the urgent need for the Australian Government to take tangible action to address these systemic injustices, to put an end to the impunity it offers Israel, and to ensure accountability for the rogue state’s longstanding human rights violations.
Given recent statements from Israeli officials advocating defiance of ICJ rulings and calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, Australia must promptly issue a statement supporting the court’s ruling and utilise all diplomatic and economic means to compel Israel’s compliance.
APAN also demands that the Australian Government impose sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers and their supporters, as well as on Israeli ministers and institutions facilitating illegal settlements.
Furthermore, Australia must act decisively to end Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza by supporting ICJ and ICC rulings, sanctioning individuals and entities that have incited or facilitated the genocide, imposing a bilateral arms embargo, recalling the Australian ambassador, and severing trade ties with Israel.
Quotes attributed to APAN President Nasser Mashni:
“This ruling is historic, as it affirms that Israel’s creation of hundreds of Jewish-only colonies on Palestinian land is a blatant manifestation of apartheid, systematically displacing and segregating Palestinians from their homeland.
“Not only does this ruling strip away any pretext of Israel’s actions being ‘self-defence’, but it unequivocally affirms that Israel has for decades been actively and aggressively pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing in Palestine.
“The ICJ has no enforcement powers of its own, and it is now up to the international community – that is, governments – to pressure Israel to dismantle its apartheid regime and its illegal settlements, put an end to decades of systemic oppression, and restore justice for Palestinians.
“This ruling leaves no room for equivocation or compromise – Australia must stand firmly and take urgent and decisive steps to hold Israel accountable, including robust diplomatic measures and sanctions.
“Anything less would be a betrayal of this government’s commitment to justice and international law.”