MEPs urge EU to align its position on Israel-Palestine with ICJ's opinion

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Some members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Thursday urged the EU to align its position with the advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that described Israel's occupation of Palestine as "unlawful."

Tineke Strik, a MEP for the Greens, shared on X a letter - signed by a total of 21 MEPs - directed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the matter, saying: "The landmark ICJ ruling about Israel's illegal annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories should mean a drastic change of EU policy."

"We are urging von der Leyen and Borrell to make sure the EU complies with international law," Strik said.

In the letter, the MEPs requested the implementation of ICJ findings by immediate actions taken by the bloc.

Those actions would include, according to the MEPs, proposing an EU ban on trade with settlements and reviewing Israel’s compliance with the Association Agreement that states EU-Israel relations “shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.”

They also asked the EU to conduct a “wider, thorough” assessment of the implications of ICJ’s advisory opinion for EU and member states policies and external action, “in order to bring them into full accordance with international law.”

“The ICJ’s historic opinion must be regarded as a pivotal moment for the EU to recalibrate its policy towards Israel so as to bring about the end of its unlawful occupation, enable the two-state solution to the conflict ensuring freedom and safety for both peoples, and resolutely defend the international legal order," they said.

The recent ICJ opinion, in response to a 2022 request by the UN General Assembly, said Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank is "unlawful" and should be brought to an end "as rapidly as possible."

It said Israel should cease new settlement activities, and “evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”