UN Votes to Seek ICJ Opinion on Israeli West Bank Activity, Morocco Supports

The United Nations General Assembly adopted an anti-Israeli resolution by 98 votes in favor, 17 against and 52 abstentions, to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on "the illegality of Israel’s activity in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank". Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Belgium, Ireland, Poland, Slovenia and Ukraine are among the countries that voted in favor. The United States, Germany, Canada, the Czech Republic, Australia, Austria and Italy voted against. 52 countries, including France, abstained from voting. The resolution asks the ICJ to consider that, due to its continuing nature, "the Israeli occupation" constitutes an annexation. After the voting stage, the text will go before the United Nations General Assembly to enter into force.

Israel did not fail to react to the vote on this resolution. "Israel totally rejects the Palestinian proposal. This is a unilateral Palestinian process that contravenes the fundamental principles underlying a solution to the conflict and can harm any possibility of a future resolution. The Palestinians are seeking to replace negotiations with unilateral actions. They are using the United Nations once again to attack Israel," denounced Prime Minister Yair Lapid. And he added: "Such an approach will not change the reality on the ground and will not benefit the Palestinian people. It can lead to an escalation. Supporting this approach is to reward terrorism and participate in an anti-Israeli campaign. We call on all the countries that supported the resolution yesterday to revise their position in the context of the vote in the General Assembly. The path to a resolution of the conflict does not pass through the corridors of the UN or any other international organization."

It remains to be seen whether Morocco’s vote will not undermine its relations with Israel, its ally.