The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on the International Court of Justice to consider the issue of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, just after Benjamin Netanyahu assumed leadership of the most right-wing government in Israel's history. Palestinian officials stated that the UN vote demanding the International Court of Justice to give an opinion on the Israeli occupation is a victory, and Israel must be held accountable. The resolution received 87 votes in favor, 26 against, and 53 abstentions, amidst a division among Western countries on the issue, while Arab nations voted unanimously in support, including those that normalized relations with Israel.
The text calls on the court, based in The Hague, to determine "the legal consequences of Israel's ongoing violation of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination," in addition to its actions "to change the demographic composition of Jerusalem and its character and status." The Palestinian representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, stated that the vote sent a message to Netanyahu's new government regarding its intention to reinforce "settlement and racist" policies, praising the countries that did not succumb to "threats and pressure."
In response, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan described the resolution as "a moral stain on the United Nations," adding that "no international organization can decide whether the Jewish people are occupying their land." He stated, "Any decision made by a judicial body receiving its mandate from the politicized and morally bankrupt UN is completely illegitimate." The resolution also calls on Israel to put an end to settlements. However, the General Assembly does not possess binding authority, unlike the UN Security Council, where the United States, an ally of Israel, holds veto power.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany opposed the resolution, while France abstained from voting. British diplomat Thomas Phipps stated, "We do not believe that referral to the International Court of Justice will help push the parties involved toward dialogue."
