Dr. Erakat: “It is time for the international community to assist in reversing the damage caused by the Wall and its regime.”

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Dr Saeb Erakat commemorated the six-year anniversary of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion on the illegality of the Wall Israel built on Palestinian land by calling on the international community to enforce the application of international law within the occupied Palestinian territory.

“Six years ago(July 9), the International Court of Justice held that Israel, the occupying power, cannot oppress the rights of Palestinian people in order to satisfy its own interests. The verdict called on Israel to dismantle the Wall and to compensate Palestinians affected by its construction. However, Israel continues to act as a state above the law and the Wall continues to harm the lives of Palestinians.”

“We are witnessing colonization in the 21st century with Israel’s settlement enterprise in the occupied Palestinian territory, and the wall is one of the ugliest manifestations of this grave violation of international law. It separates farmers from their lands, children from their schools, and families from each other. It is a land grab disguised as a security measure and its purpose is to allow the illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to expand. Simply put, the Wall is an integral part of a regime intent on heading in the direction of apartheid.”

Dr. Erakat called on the international community to assume its responsibilities under international law and honour their respective obligations as highlighted in the ruling by the ICJ:

“The settlement enterprise in general and the Wall specifically destroy the lives of the Palestinian people and the prospects for a two-state solution. The obligations of third-parties were highlighted in the ICJ ruling. At the very least, third parties are obligated not to contribute to the illegal settlement enterprise, where Israel profits off of the suffering of the Palestinian people and the exploitation of their resources. For real change to occur, the law abiding states of the international community must assume their responsibilities by actively discouraging businesses and individuals from profiting from the illegal settlement enterprise. This is the least that is required to create the necessary conditions conducive for reaching a two-state solution.”