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The recent ruling by the International Court of Justice
was predictable in its condemnation of the “fence” that Israel is building
on occupied land. This innocuous sounding fence is for the most part a
twenty five foot high wall of concrete and steel, built on Palestinian land,
and over four hundred miles long with electronic surveillance equipment and
guard posts, ostensibly to protect the Israelis from terrorism. By contrast
the Berlin Wall was only 96 miles long and under twelve feet high.
However, the vast majority of people in the world see
this Wall for what it is, an illegal land grab. What was also predictable
was the reaction of the Israeli government to that ruling. They decided to
ignore it. The Bush Administration, not to be outdone, opined that “We do
not believe that that’s the appropriate forum to resolve what is a political
issue.”
The purpose of the ICJ is to rule on disputed issues
between states, issues such as the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
When the Palestinians resort to violence towards
achieving their political aims they are condemned and rightfully so. When
they go to the ICJ to get their grievances redressed they are told their
hard won victory is meaningless. It would be more constructive to apply
universal principles of justice universally.
The Bush Administration’s position may placate the
strong domestic pro Israel lobby; however, the rest of the world views it as
America coming to the aid of Israel in defiance of world opinion yet one
more time.
Its positions like these that isolate America in the
world and ensure that the War on Terror will be a war without end. It’s time
to assign blame where blame is due. |
