Skip to main content

Palestinians ask UN court to revoke US Jerusalem embassy move

Palestinians ask UN court to revoke US Jerusalem embassy move
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Saturday the Palestinians have petitioned the UN's top court, alleging that the US inauguration of an embassy in Jerusalem was illegal.

The Palestinians have filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “for violating international law by moving its embassy in Israel to the occupied city of Jerusalem”, he said, quoted by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

In December, US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite Palestinian claims on part of the city and breaking with longstanding US policy.

Palestinians have since refused all contact with the Trump administration.

The US embassy was transferred from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14, a day marked by mass protest in the Gaza Strip, where about 60 Palestinian protesters were killed by Israeli fire in border clashes.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem along with the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War and later declared the entire city its united capital.

Palestinians claim the predominantly Arab eastern area as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Also see: In pictures: 'Bloodiest day in Israel-Palestine conflict' as US moves embassy to Jerusalem

UN resolutions call on countries to refrain from moving their embassies to the city until its status is resolved in an Israeli-Palestinian deal.

“The ICJ was asked to declare that moving the embassy to occupied Jerusalem constituted a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” WAFA wrote in English.

The court said the Palestinian suit, filed on Friday, called on the body “to order the United States of America to withdraw the diplomatic mission from the Holy City of Jerusalem and to conform to the international obligations flowing from the Vienna Convention”.

An official of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) said it was the first time Palestinians had petitioned the court against the United States.

In November 2012, the UN General Assembly recognised the Palestinian Authority as a “non-member observer state”.

This allowed the Palestinians to join UN bodies such as the ICJ and also the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is a separate institution.

Previously, the Palestinians had asked the UN General Assembly to seek a ruling on their behalf over Israel's West Bank separation barrier.

In 2004, the court issued a non-binding ruling that the network of walls and fences was illegal and called for sections to be dismantled.

Israel said it had no intention of complying.

The ICC was set up in 2002 with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the world's worst crimes including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Neither the United States nor Israel are signatories to the ICC.

Earlier this month, Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said the Palestinians had filed a petition there against Israel over its pending demolition of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank.

They have previously filed suit to the ICC claiming Israeli war crimes in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.

 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PTI workers' protest in Bani Gala over award of tickets continues on third day

Irate activists of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) continued to protest the distribution of party tickets outside chairman Imran Khan’s Banigala residence for third day (Wednesday). Dozens of workers from various constituencies have gathered outside Khan’s residence, demanding party tickets for their groups. Activists from Multan’s NA-154 constituency are demanding not to allot the ticket to Sikander Bosin. Workers from NA-51 FATA are also speaking against the award of tickets. The protesters have urged Khan to review the distribution of tickets to the candidates. They have asked to provide them to ideological workers instead of para-shooters. Earlier, the party delayed the announcement of candidates for remaining constituencies for 72 hours. A meeting of the party’s parliamentary board was also held on Tuesday. The members are scheduled to announce the new candidates after three days. The scrutiny process of candidates is also likely to continue for the next two days in the contro

How US Birthright Citizenship Emerged, Endured

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he wants to end a constitutional right that automatically grants citizenship to any baby born in the United States. Trump, in an interview with "Axios on HBO,'' said his goal is halting guaranteed citizenship for babies of noncitizens and unauthorized immigrants. U.S. citizenship through birth comes via the 14th Amendment , which was ratified after the Civil War to secure U.S. citizenship for newly freed black slaves. It later was used to guarantee citizenship to all babies born on U.S. soil after court challenges. Here is a look at the Citizenship Clause and how citizens worked to be included in it throughout U.S. history: The 14th Amendment In the aftermath of the Civil War, radical Republicans in Congress sought to push through a series of constitutional protections for newly emancipated black slaves. The 13th Amendment, which was ratified in December 1865, outlawed slavery. The 14th Amendment, ratified in July 1868, assured cit

Pakistan look to avoid whitewash in final ODI against Australia

Australia will look to end the five-match ODI series with a clean sweep whereas Pakistan will aim to salvage some pride when the two sides face off in the fifth and final fixture at Dubai today. After a thrashing in the first three matches, Pakistan showed some improvement in the fourth ODI on Friday but became the first team in ODI history to lose while chasing a target below 280 despite two centuries. Needing 278 to win, Pakistan were brought close to their target by debutant Abid Ali's 112 and Mohammad Rizwan's 104, but in the end the twin hundreds were in vain as they failed to score a required 17 off Marcus Stoinis' last over. Glenn Maxwell missed a second career hundred by just two runs, Usman Khawaja scored 62 and Alex Carey 55 as Australia posted 277-7 in their 50 overs. Abid Ali, only drafted into the side two hours before the start after Imam-ul-Haq went down with fever, became the 15th batsman to score a hundred on ODI debut. Salim Elahi (102 not out v Sri