China Defends Palestinians’ Right To Fight Oppression at ICJ

Feb. 26—Speaking at the International Court of Justice on Feb. 22, China’s representative Ma Xinmin, a Foreign Ministry legal advisor, called this moment “a litmus test for the collective conscience of humanity,” underlining the right of the Palestinians to have a state and saying that Israel is infringing on that right.

China has repeatedly condemned the October 7 Hamas attack on innocent Israeli civilians, Ma Xinmin also said that Palestinians nonetheless have the right to fight against the occupation. “In pursuit of the right to self-determination” the Palestinian people have the right to the “use of force to resist foreign oppression and to complete the establishment of the Palestinian state. It is an inalienable right well founded in international law.”

Citing examples of “various people who freed themselves from colonial rule” through armed resistance, he affirmed that for the Palestinians to use force against Israelis is not terrorism but rather a form of legitimate armed struggle, distinguishing it from terrorism. “Their practices serve as convincing evidence for the legitimacy of struggling by all available means, including armed struggle, by peoples under colonial domination or foreign occupation.” Israel had a right to self-defense, but that it has to be proportionate, he said.

Ma Xinmin said that establishing peace between Israel and Palestine was “a co-responsibility of the United Nations.” He urged the Court to come to an advisory opinion, saying that it would “help pave the way for the peace process.”

Russia Lays Blame for Gaza at the Doorstep of the United States

Feb. 26—In his comments yesterday to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, 

Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands Vladimir Tarabrin placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the United States, accusing it of maintaining a “short-sighted and irresponsible” approach that has diluted political processes created to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The following excerpts of Tarabrin’s remarks, in his English original, are taken from the transcript produced by the ICJ:

“Russia, of all countries, understands the dangers of terrorism. … Let me use this opportunity to reiterate our heartfelt condolences to the Israelis who lost their loved ones in the attack on 7 October…. We have repeatedly condemned such acts. Let me also stress that Russia highly values the stable relations that we enjoy with Israel. We are united by a shared history of combating Nazism, as well as by a myriad of present-day human ties.

“Having said this, we are convinced that the tragic events of 7 October cannot justify the collective punishment of more than 2 million Gazans. We cannot accept the logic of those officials in Israel and some Western countries who try to defend the indiscriminate violence against civilians by referring to Israel’s duty to protect its nationals. Violence can only lead to more violence. Hatred brings hatred. This vicious circle must be broken.

“In Russia’s view, security both for Israel and the Palestinians can only be ensured if the root cause of the current crisis is addressed. Outbreaks of violence will inevitably occur again until the Palestinian people, having suffered for decades from injustice, exercise their right to establish an independent State. …

“The history of the conflict shows what happens when Security Council resolutions are ignored and influential global actors are incapable or unwilling to help the parties find consensual solutions. Attempts to put the conflict into a low-intensity mode instead of a comprehensive settlement have time and again provoked eruptions in the occupied territories.

“The current wave of violence is no exception. It was preceded by a persistent policy of the United States and its allies aimed at freezing the status quo, watering down the political processes, and promoting a one-sided vision of a settlement. Among the victims of such short-sighted and irresponsible approach was the Quartet of mediators, whose work has been effectively blocked by the United States. This flawed policy of Washington has, predictably, led to a failure that has cost thousands of innocent lives. …”