Lapid in Letter to 50 World Leaders Says Don’t Send Israel to International Court
The Palestinian effort to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the International Court of Justice is an attempt to delegitimize Israel, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a letter that he sent to over 50 world leaders.
A resolution, titled “Israeli practices and settlement activities affecting the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories,” passed the UN General Assembly Fourth Committee 98 to 17 with 52 abstentions earlier this month It asks the ICJ to “render urgently an advisory opinion” on Israel’s “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian territory.”
It will come to a vote in the General Assembly next month.
Lapid wrote that “I urge your country to exercise your influence on the Palestinian Authority so that they refrain from promoting this dangerous move at the General Assembly. If the Palestinians continue to ignore these requests and this resolution is brought to a vote in December, I hope and expect that your country will vote against it and voice your clear concerns regarding its dangerous ramifications. At times like this, we look to our friends to stand with us.”
“This path of peace that we’re on is already improving the lives of Israelis and our Arab neighbors alike, promoting prosperity for our peoples and building a better future for us all. All these achievements were reached through negotiations between the relevant parties — the only proven way to attain lasting peace in our region. I am writing to you today to ensure we keep moving forward and building on this progress, rather than move backwards,” Lapid wrote.
