Saturday, January 31, 2004
This is big news regarding the probably disastrous (in a war for world-opinion - don't spit - sense) hearing at The Hague concerning Israel's Security Fence. Note that many of these countries haven't suddenly become great friends of Israel, or decided they're in favor of the fence itself, it's just that the procedural matter concerning the jurisdiction of the court is actually trumping their habitual Arab public opinion pandering.
Whatever the reason, if Israel suddenly finds it has more "friends" than usual, it should take them where it finds them. This is not a fight Israel wants to risk.
Haaretz - Officials at UN: Int'l Court hearing on fence in doubt (Link via Meryl Yourish)
Fifteen members of the European Union and ten members-in-waiting, as well as the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia, South Africa and Senegal joined Israel in submitting affidavits to the ICJ. Several EU countries, including Germany, France and the United Kingdom, submitted their own separate affidavits to the court.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Saturday that he hoped that the objections filed would convince the court to cancel the hearing on the barrier "because it is a political, not judicial issue."
Most of the countries who have called into question the authority of the court have also voiced concerns about the route of the fence where it strays from the Green Line into the West Bank. The EU has also expressed its opposition to the route of the barrier.
Israeli officials said they were pleased that most of the world's important democracies shared Israel's stand against the authority of the international court, despite the dispute over the fence route. The officials said that it was significant that countries who had abstained from the UN vote on the hearing, have now decided to submit affidavits objecting to the hearing.
In a statement to the Hague-based court, which is due to convene February 23 to discuss the issue, the U.S. said Friday that the issue of the fence was a political dispute, and should be resolved through negotiations between the two sides...
...Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said he was angered by U.S. and British opposition to the World Court hearing on the legality of the fence.
"I cannot understand it," Erekat told The Associated Press. "We seek to use diplomacy against the wall in going to the (United Nations) Security Council and the court of justice, and we find these countries, the U.S. and Britain, trying to shut the door in our faces."[...]
