Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Reuters
Haaretz
July 10, 2004
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Saturday
that Israel has proved that since the separation fence was built it has
managed to reduce infiltration by terrorists, Israel Radio reported early
Saturday.
The UN's turning the to International Court of Justice
was inappropriate, Powell said, adding that the court's ruling on the
legality of the fence was not binding.
Powell stressed that
Washington was not satisfied with the barrier's route, but that Jerusalem
was sensitive to the U.S. position, as to the aspects reviewed by Israel's
High Court of Justice. Israel must not use the fence in order to
predetermine its permanent borders, Powell added.
New York's two
senators, Democrats Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer, joined Israel's
Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Gillerman, in front of UN
headquarters on Friday to denounce the ruling.
"It makes no sense
for the United Nations to vehemently oppose a fence which is a non-violent
response to terrorism rather than opposing terrorism itself," Clinton said
to a crowd of about 100 people.
The White House on Friday brushed
aside the ICJ ruling, saying it didn't think it was the right forum for
addressing the issue.
"We do not believe that that's the
appropriate forum to resolve what is a political issue. This is an issue
that should be resolved through the process that has been put in place,
specifically the road map," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said
aboard Air Force One as President George W. Bush was en route to a
campaign tour in Pennsylvania.
"We certainly recognize the need for
Israel to defend itself and protect the people of Israel. It's also
important that they allow the Palestinian people to move freely within
that region," McClellan told reporters.
U.S. State Department
spokesman Richard Boucher after the World Court announced its decision
said "we don't think there's a need for (UN) General Assembly action at
this point."
"We think the efforts of the parties ought to be
placed on seizing the opportunity that can be created for progress on the
road map," he added.
The European Commission said that the court
appeared to have confirmed the European Union's view that the fence is
illegal and urged the Israelis to remove it from occupied
territory.
"The European Union continues to call on Israel to
remove the barrier from inside the occupied Palestinian territories,
including in and around East Jerusalem," European Commission Spokesman
Jean Christophe Filori said.
The French Foreign Ministry issued a
statement saying the International Court's ruling was non-binding, Israel
Radio reported Saturday. "France will study the court-issued document and
will consult its European partners on the issue," the statement
read.
Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry said he
was disappointed with the court's decision, Israel Radio reported late
Friday.
Kerry said Israel's separation fence was a legitimate
measure in view of its security needs and its wish to defend itself
against terrorist attacks.
The National Director of the
Anti-Defamation League, Abe Foxman, said, "We thought for a moment the
court would rise above prejudice, but as it turns out, it
didn't."
The ruling was meant to be a critical moment not only for
Israel but also for the court's legitimacy, Foxman added.
Jordan, a
key litigant before the ICJ, hailed the ruling, saying it carried "large
legal, ethical and political weight."
"The ICJ's ruling, that was
adopted with a large majority of 14 judges out of 15, represents a large
legal, ethical and political weight which Israel cannot ignore," Foreign
Minister Marwan Muasher said.
"The decision indicates that the
tribunal has accepted all Jordanian arguments and rejected all pretexts
cited by Israel, which alleged the construction of the wall was a
strategic requirement necessitated by security considerations," he
added.
Muasher said that his government was "appraising the
implications of the decision with a view to taking all necessary steps to
urge Israel to implement the ruling."
Malaysia's foreign minister
said Saturday that Israel should follow the ruling of the International
Court of Justice and tear down its West Bank security fence.
Syed
Hamid Albar also lauded the UN court's decision to condemn Israel's
long-running occupation of the West Bank and East
Jerusalem.
"Malaysia calls upon the United Nations to urgently
consider further action required to bring to an end the illegal
situation," Syed Hamid said. "The international community ... expects
Israel, as the occupying power, to respect the decision of the
court."