UN: Israel must tear wall down

2004-07-21 07:18

New York - The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution demanding that Israel comply with a world court decision and tear down the barrier it is building to seal off the West Bank. But a defiant Israel vowed to continue construction.

Tuesday's vote was 150 in favour, 6 opposed including the United States, and 10 abstentions.

The 191-member world body voted after lengthy negotiations between the Arab League and the European Union which resulted in a revised text that addressed broader issues of Mideast peace and was accepted by both groups. It added language reaffirming Israel's right to self-defence and calling on the Palestinians to arrest would-be attackers and on Israel to stop attacking Palestinian civilians.

The assembly's vote, like the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, is not legally binding, but both have symbolic value as international statements of support for the barrier's destruction.

Nonetheless, the Palestinian UN observer, Nasser Al-Kidwa, said the court's opinion and the resolution could be "the most important" UN action since the General Assembly's 1947 partition of Palestine to allow the creation of the Jewish state of Israel.

The court, as well as the resolution, demand that the barrier be dismantled and reparations be paid to Palestinians harmed by its construction.

Only security council can decide

"It's time now, we believe, for implementation, for compliance, and at a later stage for additional measures," Al-Kidwa said, praising "the magnificent results that were achieved today in support of international law and in support of peace and reconciliation in the Middle East."

Al-Kidwa said last week it is not too early to start thinking about sanctions to end Israel's settlement activities because of Israel's "negative response" to the July 9 court decision.

But only the Security Council can order the barrier to be torn down or impose sanctions, and the United States - Israel's closest ally - would almost certainly use its veto power to block any such resolution.

Israel has refused to recognise the world court ruling, saying it has no authority to deal with the issue and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered construction of the barrier to go on.

The Israeli Supreme Court, however, has ordered the army to change the route of the barrier in a 32km stretch near Jerusalem, saying it was causing too much hardship on the local Palestinian population.

Expressing thanks "that the fate of Israel" is not decided by the General Assembly, Israel's UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman called the resolution "one-sided and totally counterproductive" and said construction of the barrier will continue in compliance with international law as decided by the Supreme Court.

- AP