ICJ ruling - Israel is breaking international law.

Fully agree Netanyahu must go and go soon.
Re the West Bank settlers-are their rights more valid than the Palestinians they have displaced there? They lost their homes and livelihoods to rapacious settlers.

Netanyahu is heading for the US: Blinken is hoping to discuss a peace deal, but Netanyahu is likely to be wanting to shore up future US support.

Haaretz reports (yesterday)
"
'Israelis Have Led the Way': Why U.S. Jews Will Be Protesting Against Netanyahu During His Visit to D.C.
For decades, many American Jews believed it wrong to publicly criticize the Israeli state while living in the U.S. The policies of Benjamin Netanyahu changed all that, especially his current extremist government and its conduct of the Gaza war"

www.haaretz.com/us-news/2024-07-20/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israelis-have-led-the-way-why-u-s-jews-will-be-protesting-against-netanyahu-in-d-c/00000190-c724-dfb6-afbe-ef6607090000

Meanwhile in Israel there continue to be huge demonstrations centred around a peace deal and the return of the hostages.

US support for Israel is complicated. there is a genuine desire to support a homeland for the Jewish peoples, but also Israel geographically stands right in the place the US want to have a foothold in the Middle East, especially against Iran. Hence huge amounts of arms.

Aveline

What would happen if Israel just withdrew from the West Bank and Gaza? Thus removing the Palestinians grudge.

They can't though, can they?

There are all the settlers to consider; they're not going to leave their homes and their livelihoods, however nefariously they have been obtained.

I don't think there will be any hope for peace until Netanyahu goes. He's continuing the horror in order to stay in power and avoid prosecution.

And how he's going to be removed is a mystery to me...

What would happen if Israel just withdrew from the West Bank and Gaza? Thus removing the Palestinians grudge.

But even as they fight in Gaza, the current regime in Israel pushes more and more into the West Bank. Is it surprising there is an armed response?

acts of depraved barbarity

This is what started the recent conflict. We all know that this has been going on for years, first the PLO, now Hamas. Now Israel is being attacked by the Houthis regularly and by Hezbollah. There are reports of fifty missiles landing in Israel this weekend, fired by Hezbollah, and of the Houthis sending drones and attacking supply ships. Israel is surrounded by enemies, both inside and outside the state of Israel. Hamas are still fighting and still holding the hostages, with no sign of any desire for peace.

Romola

When Hamas committed the atrocities of 7th October, Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN, commented that those events didn't come from nowhere.
Both sides have done terrible things. But the land-grab perpetrated by Israel sowed the seeds of the war. I'm glad about the ICJ judgement.

Secretary General of the UN, commented that those events didn't come from nowhere.

Terrorism always stems from somewhere - and it's true that one man's Freedom-Fighter is another man's Terrorist.

But acts of depraved barbarity stem from man's degeneracy, whichever side they are on, that's why war has rules of engagement. Humiliating your enemy by brutality can never be justified.

"Israel's occupation, typified by settlements and by the dispossession of the local population, by annexational practices and by the negation of Palestinian self-determination, violates the norms that govern any occupation, and must end. Legally, Israel will no longer be able to argue that its occupation is "temporary" until an agreement in the indeterminate future is reached." - Haaretz Editorial

Copied from Haaretz daily bulletin 20/07/24

I wasn't. I'm referring to right now.

Aveline

MaizieD just because Americans didn't exert financial pressure on the Israelis in the past doesn't mean they can't now. The situation in the West Bank is disgraceful. Bullies seldom prosper.

Oh, I thought you were originally referring to much earlier failure to prevent the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. when no attempts have been made to stop them.

MaizieD just because Americans didn't exert financial pressure on the Israelis in the past doesn't mean they can't now. The situation in the West Bank is disgraceful. Bullies seldom prosper.

silverlining48

While the world has watched Gaza, since 7 October nearly 400 more illegal settlements have been set up by nearly a million more Jewish ‘ settlers’ in the West Bank.
Many Palestinians have been killed while Israeli soldiers look on, doing nothing to prevent their violence.

It's disgraceful. I do not support the violence or actions of Hamas but that doesn't prevent me from recognising and condemning the violence committed by Israeli settlers.

While the world has watched Gaza, since 7 October nearly 400 more illegal settlements have been set up by nearly a million more Jewish ‘ settlers’ in the West Bank.
Many Palestinians have been killed while Israeli soldiers look on, doing nothing to prevent their violence.

It certainly won’t if Trump gets in. His son-in-law has been eyeing up land in Gaza for his retail company.

Aveline

MaizieD the Americans have been supporting the Israelis to a huge extent. They could surely use their financial levers to exert pressure on the Israeli government. Israel for the Israelis and Palestine for the Palestinians. Seems reasonable

Well, has the US used its financial levers at any time?

The occupation of the West Bank & Gaza dates back to the 60s & 70s. I didn't notice the US objecting.

What on earth makes you think that the US would, or should, have done anything to prevent it?

The issue can only be resolved politically. The Court's judgment is advisory and in any case unenforceable.

MaizieD the Americans have been supporting the Israelis to a huge extent. They could surely use their financial levers to exert pressure on the Israeli government. Israel for the Israelis and Palestine for the Palestinians. Seems reasonable

foxie48

I'm also pleased that the court has reached this decision. Although Israel won't accept it and the ICJ has no power to enforce it might have an effect on how other countries interact with Israel, particularly with regard to military aid that would be used in "occupied" territory.

Yes I agree.

The world has sat in judgement on Israel.

I'm also pleased that the court has reached this decision. Although Israel won't accept it and the ICJ has no power to enforce it might have an effect on how other countries interact with Israel, particularly with regard to military aid that would be used in "occupied" territory.

Aveline

I simply don't understand how Israel has been allowed to occupy this territory. It's just plain wrong and unfair in the most basic sense.

How was anyone going to be able to stop them? They were never gong to withdraw just because the international community said they should.

It all boils down to who has the strongest fighting force. And that happens to be Israel.

Until the 1960s, approximately one million Jews lived in Iran and other Arab countries having arrived in the region more than 2,000 years before. Nowadays, it is estimated that only around 15,000 remain, as the majority of the Jewish population in Muslim lands were forced to flee their homes in the years following the establishment of the State of Israel. This mass expulsion and exodus is part of modern history, but inexplicably, it’s neither taught at schools nor remembered within the context of the conflicts in the Middle East

Nobody ever talks about how 750 thousand Jews were forced to leave their homes.

It's never been easy being Jewish.

The Israeli government won’t accept any ruling from an international court. They won’t even accept the validity of these courts.

I simply don't understand how Israel has been allowed to occupy this territory. It's just plain wrong and unfair in the most basic sense.

The court has no jurisdiction or ability to follow through any judgment it makes. It is a court in name only because it cannot enforce judgements. It holds no power.

It won’t make any difference until world leaders stop treating Israel by a different standard.Its over 40 years since my friend and colleague had his family thrown off their land so Israel could build on it.They lost their home and their income from olive groves.Its been happening since then and UNresolutions have just been ignored! It’s well past time the Israeli state and government was brought to book .I won’t hold my breath