More than 90 countries – including close allies – urge Israel to halt punitive measures against Palestinians

More than 90 countries have called on Israel to halt a series of punitive measures against the Palestinians, put in place as a response to a UN resolution asking the International Court of Justice to weigh in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

The resolution requests the ICJ to give its opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s “occupation, settlement and annexation … including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem.”

After it passed in UN General Assembly Israel announced a series of measures against the Palestinian Authority as punishment, such as withholding £32 million in tax revenue collected on behalf of the PA and freezing Palestinian construction in the West Bank.

“Regardless of each country’s position on the resolution, we reject punitive measures in response to a request for an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, and more broadly in response to a General Assembly resolution, and call for their immediate reversal,” the statement from the countries said.

The statement was signed by a number of countries considered close allies to Israel and that either voted against or abstained from the Palestinian sponsored UN resolution, such as France, Germany and Italy.

Germany’s mission to the UN issued a statement of its own as well, saying: “Germany has joined the large group of UN member states who have signed off on this statement. This group, which holds diverging views on a recent UNGA resolution calling for an ICJ advisory opinion, agrees on the rejection of punitive measures in response to the resolution.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister called the statement by over 90 states “meaningless” after it was published.

“Meaningless statements and signatures will not stop us from making the right decisions that will protect our citizens and secure our future. The interest of all the countries in the world should be to stop the incitement of the Palestinian Authority which encourages terrorism and pays terrorists who kill Jews. The State of Israel is committed first and foremost to Israel’s security,” Eli Cohen said.

Last week, the Mayor of Nablus warned that Israel’s withholding of tax revenues could lead to a total collapse of the PA which is already struggling with paying its employees.