The United States makes a withdrawal from occupied Palestine conditional on Israel's "security"
The United States has warned the International Court of Justice (ICJ) this Wednesday that “any movement towards the withdrawal” of Israel from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip requires guaranteeing the “very real security” of the Israeli State, and has insisted that only negotiations can lead to “lasting peace” in the region.
In its intervention before the ICJ, the United States has assured that “a comprehensive, just and lasting peace requires negotiations between the parties” and has stressed that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied territories “depends on and is linked to the end of belligerence.” , mutual recognition and respect for Israel's right to live in peace within secure and recognized borders, free from threats or acts of force.
“Any movement toward Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration of Israel's very real security needs,” said US representative Richard Visek in hearings analyzing the legal consequences of Israeli practices and policies in the West Bank and Gaza. occupied palestinian territories. “October 7 (Hamas attack) reminded us all of those security needs, which still persist,” the American also noted.
Visek's statements
In this sense, Visek has rejected that the ICJ issues “an opinion that demands a unilateral, immediate and unconditional withdrawal by Israel, which does not take into account the legitimate security needs of Israel.” Furthermore, he has admitted that “international law has an important and central role to play here,” and that the ICJ has “the challenge” and “serious and difficult task” of giving an advisory opinion that “promotes, rather than disrupts.” , balance, or potentially make the possibility of negotiations even more difficult.”
“The Hamas attack, the hostage-taking and other atrocities, the ongoing hostilities, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, and the violence in the West Bank urge the United States to achieve a final peace that includes the realization of Palestinian self-determination.” , he later declared. Following this, he assured that “the current crisis illustrates the vital need to achieve this final peace of a Palestinian State living safely alongside a secure Israel fully integrated in the region.”
However, it has stressed that this conflict “cannot be resolved with violence or unilateral actions, negotiations are the way,” and has urged the ICJ to “carefully calibrate its advice in this procedure to support and promote a final realization of the peace and stability” within the framework of the resolutions of the UN Security Council.
In response to countries that have intervened in the hearings and criticized US support for Israeli practices in Palestine, Visek has alleged that the United States has “repeatedly declared its strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the peacefully established status of territories by the force or coercion, anywhere in the world.”
At the request of the UN General Assembly in 2022, before the offensive in Gaza, the ICJ will this week analyze “the legal consequences derived from Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem”, to issue a non-binding legal opinion.