THE HAGUE: Israel must cease its ongoing violations of international laws and every fundamental element of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Delivering Malaysia’s oral submission during public hearings over Israel’s actions at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands on Thursday (local time), he said Israel must cease all its relevant “policies and practices” in Palestine and withdraw immediately from the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Israel must also offer assurances and guarantees of non-repetition of its violations and actions, he said.
“And third, Israel is under an obligation to offer full reparation. This means that it must provide both actual and juridical restitution, including the annulment or repeal of all offending legislative and regulatory measures it has adopted for the OPT,” he said, adding that Israel must offer compensation for all material and moral damage caused by the breach of the right to self-determination for Palestinians.
Mohamad began Malaysia’s presentation by dealing briefly with the Court’s jurisdiction and its discretion to respond to the request of the General Assembly, and then on the country’s position on the legality of the “policies and practices” of Israel in the OPT.
In the final part, he outlined the legal consequences that arose for Israel, all other states and for the United Nations from the flagrant denial of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
Malaysia’s submission underscored that Israel’s “policies and practices” are nothing but a means by which Israel is exercising its control over the OPT, Bernama reported.
The submission also listed the four core substantive elements of the right to self-determination for the Palestinians – the right to territorial integrity; the protection of its integrity; permanent sovereignty over natural wealth and resources; and the freedom to pursue economic, social and cultural development.
Mohamad is leading the Malaysian delegation at the ICJ on the request for an Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the OPT including East Jerusalem.
The Advisory Opinion is an important process to obtain legal advice from the ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the UN, in accordance with Article 96 of the UN Charter and Article 65 of the ICJ Statute.
