Cairo, July 19 (QNA) - The Arab League on Friday welcomed the advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that termed Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories illegal under international law.
Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit stressed in a statement that this opinion, although it seems logical and natural to all supporters of the Palestinian cause, represents an important legal pillar on the path to establishing the Palestinian narrative and giving it the legitimacy and legal credibility it needs in light of the occupation forces' ongoing efforts to obscure the nature and origin of the conflict with the aim of tightening its grip on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Aboul Gheit stressed that Israel's racist practices in the occupied Palestinian territories do not need a statement to demonstrate their atrocity and complete departure from human rights values, but the ruling is conclusive evidence from a legal standpoint to silence all empty Israeli arguments. The court's advisory opinion has great legal and moral weight, he said stressing what it included in describing Israeli policies as racist, and what it mentioned of other serious consequences of the continuation of the occupation, and the necessity of ending it as rapidly as possible.
The proceedings of this case since its referral by the UN General Assembly to the court late last year have been a true epic in which a number of countries have participated with extensive and professional pleadings, He said referring in particular to the pleadings of the Arab League in this regard.
The ICJ opinion, in response to a 2022 request by the UN General Assembly, said Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank is "unlawful" and should be brought to an end "as rapidly as possible." It said Israel should cease new settlement activities, and "evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory." (QNA)