LONDON: A group of 112 MPs has written to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer asking for the government to publish its response to the International Court of Justice’s advisory ruling on Israel’s occupation from July 19, 2024.
The letter, also addressed to Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Attorney General Lord Hermer, demanded that the government issue its reply to the ruling immediately, and “address the unlawful situation occurring in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories), as well its own obligations under international law.”
Calling the ICJ judgement “groundbreaking,” the letter said it “made crystal clear determinations” that Israel’s “presence in the OPT, including Gaza, is unlawful and its policies and practices are incompatible with international law.”
It added that the opinion declared that “all Israeli settlements are illegal and must be withdrawn immediately,” that “Israel owes full reparation for all damage of its illegal acts since 1967,” and that “other states are obliged to not provide any sort of aid or assistance that maintains Israel’s unlawful presence in the OPT, referring to Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.”
Signatories include former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, Sir Winston Churchill’s grandson Lord Soames, and three bishops of the Church of England.
They reminded the government that the Foreign Office stated in the aftermath of the ruling’s release that it would consider the matter “carefully before responding,” and that: “The UK respects the independence of the ICJ ... The UK is strongly opposed to the expansion of illegal settlements and rising settler violence.”
The letter continued that the ICJ’s ruling established the “unlawfulness” of Israel’s actions as fact, and that the UK has a “legal duty to ensure that the government and British entities take all necessary steps to ensure that we are not complicit with this unlawful situation.
“This is particularly pertinent given the seriousness of the situation, the continued and increasing Israeli violations of international law, as well as the increase in illegal settlements.”
It added: “Between November 2023 — October 2024, Israel established 57 new settlements and outposts. However, the UK needs to not just denounce the rise in settlements but the mere existence of them, as regards the ICJ advisory opinion.
“The failure of the government to publish its response on the advisory opinion and address the unlawful situation occurring in the OPT, as well its own obligations under international law to avoid complicity, needs to be rectified.”
So far, beyond the Foreign Office’s pledge to respond, the government’s only comment on the matter has been an Oct. 22 statement that: “The UK does not disagree with the central findings of the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”
Sixteen organizations, including the Council for Arab-British Understanding, have also written to the government demanding action to halt any UK complicity in Israeli violations of Palestinian rights.
Caabu Director Chris Doyle said: “It is an utter nonsense that a year on from this historic advisory opinion that the government has not issued its formal response.
“Sources have told Caabu that the legal response was drafted months ago. It is also not that complex a legal document based on many previous legal opinions.
“What it highlights is the government’s continued aversion to hold Israel to account, its failure to uphold international law and respect these international judicial institutions as it claims it does.”
On Wednesday, Lammy appeared in front of the International Development Select Committee, where he was asked why the government had yet to respond to the ICJ ruling.
“It’s an 83-page opinion,” Lammy replied, “so it’s right that the lawyers that you’d expect within government assist and do the work that you’d expect them to do.”
