Nations express 'deep concern' at Israeli punitive measure on Palestine

More than 90 countries have expressed deep concern at Israel's punitive measures against the Palestinian people, leadership and civil society following a UN request for an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice on the legality of Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem.

In a statement released Monday by the Palestinians, the signatories called for a reversal of the Israeli measures, saying regardless of their position on the General Assembly's resolution, we reject punitive measures in response to a request for an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice.

The 193-member General Assembly voted 87-26 with 53 abstentions on December 30 in favour of the resolution which was promoted by the Palestinians and opposed vehemently by Israel. Even though rulings by the International Court of Justice are not legally binding, they can be influential on world opinion.

Israel's new hardline government responded on January 6, approving steps to penalise the Palestinians in retaliation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a meeting of his Cabinet two days later that the measures against the Palestinians were aimed at what he called an extreme anti-Israel step at the United Nations.

The government's Security Cabinet decided to withhold USD 39 million from the Palestinian Authority and transferring the funds instead to a compensation programme for the families of Israeli victims of Palestinian militant attacks.

It also decided to deduct the amount of revenue Israel typically transfers to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority by a sum equal to the amount paid last year to families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed in the conflict, including militants implicated in attacks against Israelis. The Palestinian leadership describes the payments as necessary social welfare, while Israel says the so-called Martyrs' Fund incentivizes violence.

The Security Cabinet also targeted Palestinian officials directly, saying it would deny benefits to VIPs who are leading the political and legal war against Israel. The first Palestinian affected was Foreign Minister Riad Malki who said in a statement on January 8 that he was returning from the Brazilian president's inauguration when he was informed that Israel rescinded his VIP travel permit, which allows top Palestinian officials to travel more easily in and out of the occupied West Bank than ordinary Palestinians.

The statement released Monday was signed by representatives of Arab nations and the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and 37 other countries 27 of them from Europe including Germany, France and Italy as well as Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour welcomed the statement of support, telling The Associated Press that we exercised our democratic rights to go to the General Assembly in a peaceful way, a legal way, and put a question to the ICJ to seek an advisory opinion.

What is amazing about that statement, he said, is that it was signed by some countries that abstained or voted against the resolution referring the question to the court.

But to punish people for going to the General Assembly in an adoption of a resolution is something else, Mansour said. That's why they stood with us and opposed this policy of the Israeli government, and they are demanding a reversal of this decision.

He predicted more countries will support the statement when the Security Council holds its monthly meeting on the Middle East focusing on the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict on January 18.