International Court of Justice rules Israel’s occupation is unlawful

In a historic decision, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestine – including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem – is unlawful. The ruling determines that Israel is in breach of the Apartheid article of the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and is obligated to evacuate all settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory and make reparations to Palestinians. The court further mandated that international organizations, including the UN, must not recognize as legal the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

These findings affirm what Palestinians, scholars, legal experts, people of conscience, and organizations like AFSC have been saying for decades. In the midst of the genocide in Gaza and the rapidly accelerating violence and dispossession of Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, it is urgent that the United States and the international community abide by this ruling and exert pressure on Israel to comply. 

We are again calling on the U.S. government to:          

1. End all funding to Israel and enforce an arms embargo
2. Demand a complete and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed anywhere in the occupied Palestinian territory
3. Demand an end to Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies
4. Support the ICJ’s ruling that “the State of Israel has the obligation to make reparation for the damage caused to all the natural or legal persons concerned in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”

This ruling by the ICJ is a meaningful acknowledgment of the devastating harms caused by decades of occupation. But the ICJ has no enforcement mechanisms. It is up to the people of every country to demand that our political leaders respect international law and follow both the letter and spirit of this ruling.

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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.