| 1 |
Following a request by the Palestinian Authority, a United Nations committee on Friday backed a preliminary resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a legal opinion on the status of Israel’s “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.”
The UN’s Special Political and Decolonization Committee supported the measure by a margin of 98 in favor, 17 opposed, and 52 abstentions. The resolution will now be forwarded to the General Assembly plenary for official approval, likely occurring next month.
Nations that voted against included Israel, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, as well as several Pacific island nations. Meanwhile, Russia, Ukraine, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, among other countries, voted in favor.
We applaud 👏🏼 the countries that stood by Israel today and voted against this embarrassingly biased resolution. Thank you for showing moral clarity in the face of hypocrisy and being true friends of Israel and the Jewish people! 🇦🇺 🇦🇹 🇨🇦 🇨🇿 🇪🇪 🇩🇪 🇬🇹 🇭🇺 🇮🇹 🇱🇷 🇱🇹 🇲🇭 🇫🇲 🇳🇷 🇵🇼 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/z5wYpFMyDy
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) November 11, 2022
While the ICJ’s advisory opinions are non-binding, a ruling against Israel could help codify into international law the Palestinians’ insistence that all of the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem should be within the final boundaries of their possible future state. In 2004, the ICJ already condemned Israel’s security barrier as being inconsistent with legal norms governing the conflict.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the move, hailing its recent success in the Fourth Committee as a “diplomatic and legal breakthrough” that would “open a new era for holding Israel accountable for its war crimes.”
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid warned that the decision could ignite more violence from Palestinian terror groups. “This step will not change the reality on the ground, nor will it help the Palestinian people in any way; it may even result in an escalation,” he said, calling upon UN members to oppose the resolution in the General Assembly.
| 2 |
During a ceremony at his Jerusalem residence, President Isaac Herzog on Sunday tasked Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu with the mandate to form Israel’s 37th government.
“Having considered the facts in accordance with the law, and after you gave your consent to this, as required by law, I have decided to assign to you, MK [Member of Knesset] Benjamin Netanyahu, the task of forming a government,” the President formally declared.
Herzog noted it was not an easy decision, as “it hasn’t escaped my notice” that the former prime minister is currently on trial.
'I intend to be the Prime Minister of everyone, for those who chose me, for those who didn't choose me,'
Says @netanyahu as he receives the mandate from President @Isaac_Herzog to form the next Israeli government pic.twitter.com/A0Tur7N0Qo
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) November 13, 2022
Netanyahu stressed that “voters have given unequivocal trust in me and Likud, as well as in the parties partnering with us,” while adding that he would “intend to be the prime minister of everyone — those who voted for me, and those who did not vote for me.”
On November 1, the Likud-led right-religious political bloc won a decisive 64-seat majority in the Jewish state’s fifth election since 2019, enabling Netanyahu to retake power after 19 months in the opposition. Informal coalition negotiations have been ongoing for almost two weeks.
Netanyahu will now have 28 days to form a coalition. By law, President Herzog has the discretion to give him a 14-day extension should he request it. The incoming PM reportedly wants to swear in the new government as soon as possible.
| 3 |
Pro-Palestinian activists are planning another flotilla to the Gaza Strip, a coalition of terror-linked NGOs recently announced. According to a report by an Israeli advocacy group, operatives associated with the Hamas terrorist group met in London last weekend to discuss their plans to break through Israel’s naval blockade.
“After the global pandemic pause, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is now set to resume our sailing to challenge the illegal, immoral and inhuman blockade of Gaza,” the umbrella group said on its website.
Between 2008 and 2018, some 16 flotillas attempted to reach Gaza, of which eight made it to the coastal enclave.
Since 2009, the IDF has blocked civilian boats heading for Gaza, the most infamous being the Mavi Marmara flotilla that was held in May 2010 and turned into an attack on the naval commando soldiers who tried to take over the ship. Several armed Turkish nationals were killed in the incident.
“This is another terrorist flotilla that plans to attack Israel as a civilian operation,” the Tel Aviv-based Ad Kan organization stated, adding: “We hope that this time the State of Israel will be able to prevent the departure of the flotilla and minimize the damage to Israel’s international image.”
The United Nations in 2011 concluded that the naval blockade was imposed by Israel as a legitimate security measure to prevent weapons from entering Gaza by sea. The UN said that its implementation complies with the requirements of international law.
| 4 |
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced a “historic” agreement with the FIFA soccer association that would allow Israelis and Palestinians to fly to Qatar directly for the World Cup, slated to take place between November 20 and December 18.
The deal was struck following Qatar’s pledge to meet FIFA’s hosting requirements, the organization said in a press release.
“Direct charter flights will be temporarily operated between Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and Hamad International Airport in Doha by an airline with existing landing rights in Qatar for the duration of the FIFA World Cup, subject to Israel’s security requirements and operational capabilities,” FIFA explained.
Qatar and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, and consular services for Israeli citizens will be provided through a privately run international travel agency based in Doha. Palestinians will be able to seek consular assistance at the local Palestinian Authority representative office.
Lapid remarked: “This is great news for football fans and for all Israelis. After hard work over the course of many months, we have arranged for Israeli citizens to be able to fly to the World Cup in Qatar on direct flights, and the opening of an Israeli office in Qatar to provide services to fans coming for the World Cup.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday called the agreement a “historic” step that promises to bolster “people-to-people ties.”
I welcome FIFA’s announcement of direct flights between Qatar and Israel for the World Cup. This step bolsters people to people ties and economic integration, while encouraging freedom of travel for all, both Israeli and Palestinian.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 11, 2022
Recommended Reading
- Palestinian Resolution at UN Is a Desperate Step (Ariel Kahana, Israel Hayom)
- Independence Day Terror Attack Victim’s Condition Deteriorates (Jewish News Syndicate)
- A Failure of American Jewish Media – Opinion (Yisrael Medad, Jerusalem Post)
- Meet the Jewish World Champion of Magic: The Gathering (Jacob Gurvis, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
- Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers Find Treatment in Israel (Pierre Klochendler & Jake Pemberton, i24NEWS)
Featured Image: Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, United Nations Photo via Flickr
