Up against the Wall: Sharon vs UN

The UN General Council voted on the resolution the other night. 150 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while six, including the US, voted against the resolution.

The resolution calls upon Israel to obey the decision reached by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which decided on July 9 that the Security Wall violates international law and therefore must be torn down immediately.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Adviser Raanan Gissin evaluated the outcome of the UN decision yesterday and reiterated that Israel would continue with the barrier’s construction.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, making an announcement after the voting, invited Israel to consider the view regarding the ICJ decision and partially tear down the wall. "Even though, it is nonbinding, Israelis should take the ICJ decision into consideration. This is a decision of moral values," indicated Annan.

The 191-member UN General Council voted on the resolution after drawn out negotiations. Heated debates took place between the Arab countries and the European Union (EU) on the language of the resolution. In the end, while a reference is made about Israel’s right to protect itself, it is requested that Israel stop the attacks on Palestinian civilians and that Palestine arrest the militants. The UN decision also suggests that Israel pay compensation to Palestinians who were harmed by the barrier’s construction.

Upon the EU’s offer, the Arab countries made the Council add the sentence, "Parties should meet the obligations envisaged in the Road Map."