Brazil condemned the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories during a trial at the International Court of Justice, a United Nations court based in The Hague, Netherlands.
This is the first time that the International Court of Justice, the highest court in the world, will issue an opinion on the Israeli occupation of territories claimed by Palestinians, one of the most complex issues today, debated for decades.
More than 50 countries will present arguments in six days of hearings. The decision should only be made in a few months and the opinion will be advisory: it has legal weight, but it is not binding.
The process stems from a request from the UN General Assembly, in 2022, for the court's 15 judges to evaluate, quote: “the legal consequences of Israel's continued violation of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.”
Tuesday (20) saw participation from ten countries, including South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands and Brazil, which generally argued that Israel's occupation is illegal.
The arguments revolved around two central points: the principle of self-determination, provided for by international law, which guarantees a people the right to determine their system of government; and the legality or otherwise of settlements, Jewish colonies that Palestinians say are an Israeli advance on their territory. Brazil follows the UN position, which considers that settlements violate international law.
One of the highlights of the day was South Africa, which said that the settlements are colonial apartheid. The country had already asked the Court to try Israel for genocide in another case in January, when the majority of the court ordered Israel to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Brazilian participation in the Court came into focus after the diplomatic crisis created by President Lula when he compared the Israeli offensive in Gaza to the Holocaust. Before the court, Brazil accused Israel of annexing Palestinian territories and said that the occupations are illegal and unacceptable.
Brazil's representative at the Court, Maria Clara Tusco, said: “Regarding the legal situation of the occupation, Brazil expects the court to reaffirm that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal and violates international obligations through a series of actions and omissions. of Israel.”
The Brazilian diplomat also cited resolution 242, of the UN Security Council, which directed Israel to withdraw from the territories occupied after the six-day war in 1967, when in less than a week, Israel tripled its territorial dominance: Egypt lost the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula; Syria lost the Golan Heights, and Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Wednesday (21) promises to be another busy day at court, with the participation of Egypt, Russia, France and Israel's most influential supporter: the United States.
Source: CNN Brasil
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