Release: Govt must act on ICJ ruling on illegal Israeli occupation

Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal.

That ruling should spur the National Government to do more to back international legal efforts to end the war in Gaza and find a peaceful solution in Israel-Palestine.

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said the ICJ ruling was a damning indictment of Israel’s occupation and would further isolate the Netanyahu government which is under investigation at the ICJ and the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

“Successive New Zealand governments have called out Israel’s occupation as illegal, including in 2016 when the then-National government co-sponsored Resolution 2334 at the UN condemning Israel’s illegal settlements.

“Now the ICJ has confirmed that the occupation of the Palestinian Territories since 1968 is illegal.

“International law has a critical role to play in resolving this conflict. That’s why we are again calling on the Government to intervene in South Africa’s-led genocide case against Israel’s war in Gaza at The Hague and send our top legal experts to make submissions.

“The Government has sent defence personnel to take part in the US-led operation against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, supposedly to defend the rules-based order, but doesn’t have much to say about Israel’s war crimes in nearby Gaza.

“It doesn’t seem to be a case of one international law for all.

“The Luxon Government talks a big game on the international rules-based order but is strangely muted when it comes to Israel’s violations of international law.

“There was no indication that the Prime Minister raised Israel’s war crimes in Gaza, and the US’ unconditional support for Israel’s war, when he met President Biden last week.

“It suggests New Zealand’s independent foreign policy has been replaced with a highly selective and unbalanced one,” said Chris Hipkins.

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