On July 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued its opinion that Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territories are unlawful and that its discriminatory laws and policies against Palestinians violate the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. Further, the Court refuted the notion that Palestinian self-determination must be achieved solely through bilateral negotiations with Israel – a requirement that has subjected Palestinians to violence, dispossession and rights violations for decades. In their Left and the Law segment, Jan Haaken and Mike Snedeker look at the significance of this opinion by the ICJ, particularly given similar past rulings by the international courts. They talk about how this and other ICJ rulings since December support the global movement for justice in Palestine even as the Court lacks authority for legal enforcement.
Image of Palestinian flag by AlHurriya and licensed for public use: https://www.deviantart.com/alhurriya/art/Palestinian-flag-148817433