The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague today began debating the legality of Israel's security fence. The Palestinians presented their case, to be followed by arguments from South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. Along with most western countries, Israel is boycotting the "political" hearings, and will suffice with its written affidavit. Israeli officials have conceded the court battle, and will concentrate on the battle for public opinion taking place outside.
The first three hours of the hearing will be devoted to the Palestinian arguments, presented by Nasser Al-Kidwa, the Palestinians' envoy to the United Nations. Kidwa will be followed by a presentation of the legal arguments behind the legality of the fence by Professor James Crawford, the head of the Cambridge law school, and Prof. Ron Lowe of Oxford University.
Israel, along with the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia and European Union countries, is not participating in this week's hearings. Israel previously submitted a 124-page brief to the court, which stated that the ICJ does not have jurisdiction to rule in this case, and that Israel has a fundamental right of self-defense.
Israeli officials said the oral arguments, presented by Arab and Third World countries, would highlight the international court's bias. The officials have conceded the court battle, assuming in advance that its nonbinding ruling, an answer to the UN General Assembly's request for a legal opinion, will be biased against Israel.
More important to Israel, the officials said, was the public relations battle taking outside the Hague court. One official told Army Radio that while it was unpleasant to admit it, yesterday's suicide bombing attack in Jerusalem, in which eight Israelis were murdered and more than 60 people were injured, was a very effective push in Israel's favor.
MK Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al), in The Hague to participate in the campaign against the security fence, told Army Radio that the Palestinians had "shot themselves in the legs" with yesterday's attack.
As the hearings begin, the charred remains of the no. 19 bus, destroyed in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem on January 29 that killed eleven Israelis, will be placed outside the court. The bus was flown to the Dutch city by Zaka, the ultra-Orthodox rescue and cleanup organization that collects victims' body parts after terrorist attacksı.
Jewish students from Israel, Britain, France, Germany, Holland and Poland, organized by the Jewish Agency, plan to march to the court this morning and will hold up photos of 927 people killed in Palestinian attacks in the last three years. The students will hold up an additional eight empty posters, to signify the latest victims of yesterday's suicide bombing.
At the same time, the Christians for Israel organization will stage a quiet rally through the streets of the city bearing pictures of the terror victims, Haaretz reported. The Magen David Adom rescue service has also sent a delegation to The Hague - twelve paramedics, who have dealt with the victims of the attacks of the past three and a half years.
Israel's sole message at the demonstrations is that the "fence stops terror," said Foreign Ministry official Gideon Meir.
W.J. (Wim) Deetman, the mayor of The Hague, said over the weekend that he believes Israel's embassy in the city is trying to undermine arrangements instituted to maintain public order in anticipation of the ICJ debate. In his view, the demonstrations would lead to confrontations with the Palestinians and their supporters, who are also organizing protests during the days of the court hearings.
Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski yesterday extended an invitation to Deetman to visit Jerusalem. In his invitation, Mayor Lupolianski said that he is convinced that Deetman - a former Chairman of the Israel-Netherlands Friendship Association - would understand the "terrorism prevention" fence's importance to the residents of Jerusalem if he were to visit the site of Sunday's attack and the bereaved families.
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