The Jewish Council of Australia calls on the Albanese Government to take swift material action in response to the International Court of Justice’s historic advisory opinion calling for Israel to immediately halt illegal settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Court called on the State of Israel to leave the Occupied Palestinian Territories “as rapidly as possible” and make reparations for “wrongful acts”. It also found that all states are under an obligation not to aid, assist or recognise as legal Israel’s unlawful presence and acts in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

We welcome Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s statement in regard to the decision, which respects the authority of the Court and reiterates that the Government considers Israel’s settlement activity to be illegal and a significant obstacle to peace. But as a member of the international community, the Albanese Government must do more to uphold our obligations under international law, including immediately reviewing Australia’s political, military and economic ties to the State of Israel. 

Violence by settlers and Israeli security forces in the West Bank has sharply escalated in the past year. Using UN data, Human Rights Watch documented 492 unlawful killings of Palestinians in the West Bank in 2023 – more than double previous years. 

Israel is encouraging this violence by arming and protecting illegal settlers. Recently, Israel’s Finance Minister called for the full annexation of the West Bank if the UN ruled against Israel, promising “a million settlers” and to “thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state through massive construction, regulating settlements, building roads and other measures in the field”.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has already rejected the Court’s decision. Israel is separately before the Court for allegations of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, where it has killed over 38,000 people and caused the devastating collapse of healthcare, education, and civil society.

Israel’s increasing disregard for international law demonstrates the importance of states like Australia responding with material action.

Dr Elizabeth Strakosch, politics and antiracism scholar and Executive Officer of the Jewish Council of Australia

There are no possible moral, legal or political justifications for Israel’s actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This recent UN ruling makes a clear demand of Western governments such as Australia – they must stop excusing Israel’s overwhelming violence and human rights violations. The State of Israel is engaging in the systematic destruction of Palestinian life and the Australian Government must immediately do all within its power to stop it. 

An increasing number of Australians, including many Jewish people, are horrified by Israel’s actions. The recent UN ruling reaffirms that those who have been protesting Israel’s violence are on the right side of history. 

Sarah Schwartz, human rights lawyer and Executive Officer of the Jewish Council of Australia

This decision, and Israel’s belligerent response, will be a test for the international community. States like Australia have, for too long, treated Israel as a special case and failed to meaningfully respond to its repeated breaches of international law. 

We welcome Foreign Minister Wong’s statement in regard to the decision. But in order to be meaningful, these words must be combined with material action. This includes reviewing all of our political, military and economic ties with Israel, as well as imposing sanctions, and throwing our weight behind a global arms embargo.

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