DaysofPal- Over 500 academics and professionals in the fields of international law, international relations, politics, conflict studies, and genocide studies have urged the United Nations General Assembly and its member states to remove Israel from the assembly due to its persistent disregard for international law over the last seven decades, including violations of the UN Charter, Security Council resolutions, and International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders.
The signatories stated in a joint letter that the state of Israel has violated international law in numerous ways since its founding in 1948.
“Israel has demonstrated a policy of persistent defiance and disrespect to the UN and the international legal system,” the letter said.
These include Israel’s violation of Resolution 194 (III) (1948), enshrining the Palestinian right of return, and Resolution 181 (II) (1947), enshrining Palestinian state sovereignty. The two resolutions were viewed as conditions of Israel’s admission to the UN, under Resolution 273 (III) (1949).
Furthermore, Israel has continuously violated legally binding resolutions of the UN Security Council, including those pertaining to Gaza since October 7, 2023. Mostly related to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, this adds to the list of Security Council resolutions that Israel has violated for decades.
The scholars emphasized that Israel has violated Article 25 of the UN Charter by consistently disregarding several Security Council Resolutions. In accordance with Article 6 of the UN Charter, the General Assembly, upon recommendation of the Security Council, may expel Israel due to its persistent violation of the Principles of the UN Charter, they said.
Apart from violating its international legal obligations, Israel is also charged with violating the protections guaranteed to UN peacekeepers and bodies.
This includes banning the UN’s relief organization for Palestinians (UNRWA) and killing members of its staff in Gaza; attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon; declaring the UN Secretary General persona non grata, and barring UN special rapporteurs from entering occupied Palestine since 2008.
The joint letter asserts that Israel’s ongoing denial of Palestinian self-determination and systematic land appropriation has led to a critical moment where Israel is committing genocide and ethnic cleansing with unprecedented force. It emphasizes that the survival of the Palestinian people depends on ending Israeli impunity and securing their right to self-determination. The letter also raises concerns about the legitimacy of the international legal system in light of Israel’s violations.
The signatories concluded that expelling Israel from the UN General Assembly would uphold the legal obligations outlined by the ICJ advisory opinion. It would also hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations and bring a step closer to the protection and liberation of the Palestinian people.
Israel is facing charges at the ICJ for violating the 1948 Genocide Convention, in a case brought by South Africa. The application claims that Israel’s actions in Gaza are aimed at destroying Palestinians, defined as a national, racial, and ethnic group, and accuses Israel of failing to prevent or punish these acts.
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