Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Image: Reuters.
Newly sworn-in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Jewish people are not occupiers in their land and as such, Israel is not bound by the UN decision on Friday on the "occupation" of Palestinian territories.
The U.N. General Assembly asked
the International Court of Justice, ICJ, to provide an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's "occupation, settlement, and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem."
In his reaction to the vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message, "The Jewish people are not occupiers in their land nor occupiers in our eternal capital Jerusalem and no U.N. resolution can distort that historical truth," adding that Israel was not bound by the "despicable decision."
The vote on Friday is a challenge for Netanyahu, who took office last week, heading a government that has set the expansion of settlements as a priority, Reuters reports.
Palestinians want to include Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank as part of their state and many countries view Israel's settlements in the West Bank as illegal, a position that Israel disputes citing its historical and Biblical ties to the land.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) also known as the World Court, based in the Hague, is the top U.N. court dealing with disputes between states. Although its rulings are binding, the ICJ has no power to enforce them.
United Nations Headquarters building; Image:Reuters.
Members of Netanyahu's new government have promised to increase settlements with development plans, and budgets and to authorize dozens of outposts built without permits.
The cabinet includes posts and roles newly created or restructured to grant some of those powers to pro-settler coalition partners.
However, Netanyahu has not indicated any imminent steps to annex the settlements.
87 members of the UN General Assembly voted in favor of adopting the request; Israel, the United States, and 24 other members voted against; it, and 53 abstained. The Palestinians welcomed the U.N. vote.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, "The time has come for Israel to be a state subject to law, and to be held accountable for its ongoing crimes against our people."
Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority has limited self-rule in the West Bank.
Basem Naim, An official with Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, called the vote "an important step toward confining and isolating the state of occupation (Israel)."
Politics and Opinion.
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