Source: http://www.israellawresourcecenter.org/miscdocuments/icjadvisoryopinion2003/studyguides/icj2003sgwallviolation.htm
Timestamp: 2013-05-24 20:26:02
Document Index: 631565731

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 11', 'Art. 12', 'art. 120', 'art. 49', 'art. 1', 'art. 47', 'art. 4', 'art. 12', 'art. 62', 'art. 13', 'ART. 9', 'art. 6', 'art. 16', 'art. 46', 'art.53', 'art. 134', 'Art. 12', 'art. 49', 'art. 46', 'art. 47', 'art. 4', 'art. 4', 'art. 51', 'art.25', 'art.33']

Study Guide: wall is violantion of International Law
STUDY GUIDE TO THE ICJ ADVISORY OPINION ON THE ISRAELI WALL BEING BUILT IN PALESTINE General Assembly request for the Advisory Opinion - articles 1 - 12, 18 - 23 (text & notes) ICJ jurisdiction - articles 13 - 17, 24 - 31, 65 (text & notes) ICJ summary of its Advisory Opinion - article 163 (text & notes) ICJ member judges voting on the Opinion- article 163 (text & notes) International humanitarian law, applicability of - articles 86 - 101 (text & notes) International human rights law, applicability of - articles 102 - 113 (text & notes) Israeli opposition to ICJ ruling on the wall - articles 33 - 64 (text & notes) Israeli settlements, violations of international law - article 99, 120 (text & notes) Legal status of territories & East Jerusalem - articles 70 - 85 (text & notes) Wall, legal consequences of - articles 145 - 162 (text & notes) Wall, use of the term - article 67 (text & notes) Wall, violation of international law - articles 115 - 142 (text & notes)
Wall, Violation of International Law (articles 115 - 142)
115. In this regard, Annex II to the report of the Secretary General, entitled "Summary Legal Position of the Palestine Liberation Organization", states that "The construction of the Barrier is an attempt to annex the territory contrary to international law" and that "The de facto annexation of land interferes with the territorial sovereignty and consequently with the right of the Palestinians to self determination." This view was echoed in certain of the written statements submitted to the Court and in the views expressed at the hearings. Inter alia, it was contended that: "The wall severs the territorial sphere over which the Palestinian people are entitled to exercise their right of self determination and constitutes a violation of the legal principle prohibiting the acquisition of territory by the use of force." In this connection, it was in particular emphasized that "The route of the wall is designed to change the demographic composition of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, by reinforcing the Israeli settlements" illegally established on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It was further contended that the wall aimed at "reducing and parcelling out the territorial sphere over which the Palestinian people are entitled to exercise their right of self determination". 116. For its part, Israel has argued that the wall's sole purpose is to enable it effectively to combat terrorist attacks launched from the West Bank. Furthermore, Israel has repeatedly stated that the Barrier is a temporary measure (see report of the Secretary General, para. 29). It did so inter alia through its Permanent Representative to the United Nations at the Security Council meeting of 14 October 2003, emphasizing that "[the fence] does not annex territories to the State of Israel", and that Israel is "ready and able, at tremendous cost, to adjust or dismantle a fence if so required as part of a political settlement" (S/PV.4841, p. 10). Israel's Permanent Representative restated this view before the General Assembly on 20 October and 8 December 2003. On this latter occasion, he added: "As soon as the terror ends, the fence will no longer be necessary. The fence is not a border and has no political significance. It does not change the legal status of the territory in any way." (A/ES 10/PV.23, p. 6.) 117. The Court would recall that both the General Assembly and the Security Council have referred, with regard to Palestine, to the customary rule of "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war" (see paragraphs 74 and 87 above). Thus in resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, the Security Council, after recalling this rule, affirmed that:
"the fulfilment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which should include the application of both the following principles:
118. As regards the principle of the right of peoples to self determination, the Court observes that the existence of a "Palestinian people" is no longer in issue. Such existence has moreover been recognized by Israel in the exchange of letters of 9 September 1993 between Mr. Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Mr. Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli Prime Minister. In that correspondence, the President of the PLO recognized "the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security" and made various other commitments. In reply, the Israeli Prime Minister informed him that, in the light of those commitments, "the Government of Israel has decided to recognize the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people". The Israeli Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip of 28 September 1995 also refers a number of times to the Palestinian people and its "legitimate rights" (Preamble, paras. 4, 7, 8; Article II, para. 2; Article III, paras. 1 and 3; Article XXII, para. 2). The Court considers that those rights include the right to self determination, as the General Assembly has moreover recognized on a number of occasions (see, for example, resolution 58/163 of 22 December 2003).
119. The Court notes that the route of the wall as fixed by the Israeli Government includes within the "Closed Area" (see paragraph 85 above) some 80 per cent of the settlers living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Moreover, it is apparent from an examination of the map mentioned in paragraph 80 above that the wall's sinuous route has been traced in such a way as to include within that area the great majority of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territory (including East Jerusalem).
120. As regards these settlements, the Court notes that Article 49, paragraph 6, of the Fourth Geneva Convention provides: "The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies." That provision prohibits not only deportations or forced transfers of population such as those carried out during the Second World War, but also any measures taken by an occupying Power in order to organize or encourage transfers of parts of its own population into the occupied territory.
121. Whilst the Court notes the assurance given by Israel that the construction of the wall does not amount to annexation and that the wall is of a temporary nature (see paragraph 116 above), it nevertheless cannot remain indifferent to certain fears expressed to it that the route of the wall will prejudge the future frontier between Israel and Palestine, and the fear that Israel may integrate the settlements and their means of access. The Court considers that the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime create a "fait accompli" on the ground that could well become permanent, in which case, and notwithstanding the formal characterization of the wall by Israel, it would be tantamount to de facto annexation. 122. The Court recalls moreover that, according to the report of the Secretary General, the planned route would incorporate in the area between the Green Line and the wall more than 16 per cent of the territory of the West Bank. Around 80 per cent of the settlers living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, that is 320,000 individuals, would reside in that area, as well as 237,000 Palestinians. Moreover, as a result of the construction of the wall, around 160,000 other Palestinians would reside in almost completely encircled communities (see paragraphs 84, 85 and 119 above).
In other terms, the route chosen for the wall gives expression in loco to the illegal measures taken by Israel with regard to Jerusalem and the settlements, as deplored by the Security Council (see paragraphs 75 and 120 above). There is also a risk of further alterations to the demographic composition of the Occupied Palestinian Territory resulting from the construction of the wall inasmuch as it is contributing, as will be further explained in paragraph 133 below, to the departure of Palestinian populations from certain areas. That construction, along with measures taken previously, thus severely impedes the exercise by the Palestinian people of its right to self determination, and is therefore a breach of Israel's obligation to respect that right. *
123. The construction of the wall also raises a number of issues in relation to the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law and of human rights instruments. 124. With regard to the Hague Regulations of 1907, the Court would recall that these deal, in Section II, with hostilities and in particular with "means of injuring the enemy, sieges, and bombardments". Section III deals with military authority in occupied territories. Only Section III is currently applicable in the West Bank and Article 23 (g) of the Regulations, in Section II, is thus not pertinent.
Section III of the Hague Regulations includes Articles 43, 46 and 52, which are applicable in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Article 43 imposes a duty on the occupant to "take all measures within his power to restore, and, as far as possible, to insure public order and life, respecting the laws in force in the country". Article 46 adds that private property must be "respected" and that it cannot "be confiscated". Lastly, Article 52 authorizes, within certain limits, requisitions in kind and services for the needs of the army of occupation.
In the case of occupied territory, the application of the present Convention shall cease one year after the general close of military operations; however, the Occupying Power shall be bound, for the duration of the occupation, to the extent that such Power exercises the functions of government in such territory, by the provisions of the following Articles of the present Convention: 1 to 12, 27, 29 to 34, 47, 49, 51, 52, 53, 59, 61 to 77, 143. Protected persons whose release, repatriation or re establishment may take place after such dates shall meanwhile continue to benefit by the present Convention."
"If the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to relief schemes on behalf of the said population, and shall facilitate them by all the means at its disposal.
A Power granting free passage to consignments on their way to territory occupied by an adverse Party to the conflict shall, however, have the right to search the consignments, to regulate their passage according to prescribed times and routes, and to be reasonably satisfied through the Protecting Power that these consignments are to be used for the relief of the needy population and are not to be used for the benefit of the Occupying Power."
127. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also contains several relevant provisions. Before further examining these, the Court will observe that Article 4 of the Covenant allows for derogation to be made, under various conditions, to certain provisions of that instrument. Israel made use of its right of derogation under this Article by addressing the following communication to the Secretary General of the United Nations on 3 October 1991:
"Since its establishment, the State of Israel has been the victim of continuous threats and attacks on its very existence as well as on the life and property of its citizens.
In so far as any of these measures are inconsistent with article 9 of the Covenant, Israel thereby derogates from its obligations under that provision."
128. Among these mention must be made of Article 17, paragraph 1 of which reads as follows: "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation."
Mention must also be made of Article 12, paragraph 1, which provides: "Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence." 129. In addition to the general guarantees of freedom of movement under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, account must also be taken of specific guarantees of access to the Christian, Jewish and Islamic Holy Places. The status of the Christian Holy Places in the Ottoman Empire dates far back in time, the latest provisions relating thereto having been incorporated into Article 62 of the Treaty of Berlin of 13 July 1878. The Mandate for Palestine given to the British Government on 24 July 1922 included an Article 13, under which:
"All responsibility in connection with the Holy Places and religious buildings or sites in Palestine, including that of preserving existing rights and of securing free access to the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites and the free exercise of worship, while ensuring the requirements of public order and decorum, is assumed by the Mandatory . . ."
Article 13 further stated: "nothing in this mandate shall be construed as conferring . . . authority to interfere with the fabric or the management of purely Moslem sacred shrines, the immunities of which are guaranteed".
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the General Assembly, in adopting resolution 181 (II) on the future government of Palestine, devoted an entire chapter of the Plan of Partition to the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites. Article 2 of this Chapter provided, in so far as the Holy Places were concerned: "the liberty of access, visit and transit shall be guaranteed, in conformity with existing rights, to all residents and citizens [of the Arab State, of the Jewish State] and of the City of Jerusalem, as well as to aliens, without distinction as to nationality, subject to requirements of national security, public order and decorum".
Subsequently, in the aftermath of the armed conflict of 1948, the 1949 General Armistice Agreement between Jordan and Israel provided in Article VIII for the establishment of a special committee for "the formulation of agreed plans and arrangements for such matters as either Party may submit to it" for the purpose of enlarging the scope of the Agreement and of effecting improvement in its application. Such matters, on which an agreement of principle had already been concluded, included "free access to the Holy Places".
This commitment concerned mainly the Holy Places located to the east of the Green Line. However, some Holy Places were located west of that Line. This was the case of the Room of the Last Supper and the Tomb of David, on Mount Zion. In signing the General Armistice Agreement, Israel thus undertook, as did Jordan, to guarantee freedom of access to the Holy Places. The Court considers that this undertaking by Israel has remained valid for the Holy Places which came under its control in 1967. This undertaking has further been confirmed by Article 9, paragraph 1, of the 1994 Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan, by virtue of which, in more general terms, "Each party will provide freedom of access to places of religious and historical significance."
130. As regards the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, that instrument includes a number of relevant provisions, namely: the right to work (Articles 6 and 7); protection and assistance accorded to the family and to children and young persons (Article 10); the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and the right "to be free from hunger" (Art. 11); the right to health (Art. 12); the right to education (Arts. 13 and 14).
132. From the information submitted to the Court, particularly the report of the Secretary General, it appears that the construction of the wall has led to the destruction or requisition of properties under conditions which contravene the requirements of Articles 46 and 52 of the Hague Regulations of 1907 and of Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
133. That construction, the establishment of a closed area between the Green Line and the wall itself and the creation of enclaves have moreover imposed substantial restrictions on the freedom of movement of the inhabitants of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (with the exception of Israeli citizens and those assimilated thereto). Such restrictions are most marked in urban areas, such as the Qalqiliya enclave or the City of Jerusalem and its suburbs. They are aggravated by the fact that the access gates are few in number in certain sectors and opening hours appear to be restricted and unpredictably applied. For example, according to the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, "Qalqiliya, a city with a population of 40,000, is completely surrounded by the Wall and residents can only enter and leave through a single military checkpoint open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m." (Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, John Dugard, on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, submitted in accordance with Commission resolution 1993/2 A and entitled "Question of the Violation of Human Rights in the Occupied Arab Territories, including Palestine", E/CN.4/2004/6, 8 September 2003, para. 9.)
There have also been serious repercussions for agricultural production, as is attested by a number of sources. According to the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories "an estimated 100,000 dunums [approximately 10,000 hectares] of the West Bank's most fertile agricultural land, confiscated by the Israeli Occupation Forces, have been destroyed during the first phase of the wall construction, which involves the disappearance of vast amounts of property, notably private agricultural land and olive trees, wells, citrus grows and hothouses upon which tens of thousands of Palestinians rely for their survival" (Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, A/58/311, 22 August 2003, para. 26).
Further, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967 states that "Much of the Palestinian land on the Israeli side of the Wall consists of fertile agricultural land and some of the most important water wells in the region" and adds that "Many fruit and olive trees had been destroyed in the course of building the barrier." (E/CN.4/2004/6, 8 September 2003, para. 9.) The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights states that construction of the wall "cuts off Palestinians from their agricultural lands, wells and means of subsistence" (Report by the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Jean Ziegler, "The Right to Food", Addendum, Mission to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, E/CN.4/2004/10/Add.2, 31 October 2003, para. 49). In a recent survey conducted by the World Food Programme, it is stated that the situation has aggravated food insecurity in the region, which reportedly numbers 25,000 new beneficiaries of food aid (report of the Secretary General, para. 25).
It has further led to increasing difficulties for the population concerned regarding access to health services, educational establishments and primary sources of water. This is also attested by a number of different information sources. Thus the report of the Secretary General states generally that "According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, so far the Barrier has separated 30 localities from health services, 22 from schools, 8 from primary water sources and 3 from electricity networks." (Report of the Secretary General, para. 23.) The Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967 states that "Palestinians between the Wall and Green Line will effectively be cut off from their land and workplaces, schools, health clinics and other social services." (E/CN.4/2004/6, 8 September 2003, para. 9.) In relation specifically to water resources, the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights observes that "By constructing the fence Israel will also effectively annex most of the western aquifer system (which provides 51 per cent of the West Bank's water resources)." (E/CN.4/2004/10/Add.2, 31 October 2003, para. 51.) Similarly, in regard to access to health services, it has been stated that, as a result of the enclosure of Qalqiliya, a United Nations hospital in that town has recorded a 40 per cent decrease in its caseload (report of the Secretary General, para. 24). At Qalqiliya, according to reports furnished to the United Nations, some 600 shops or businesses have shut down, and 6,000 to 8,000 people have already left the region (E/CN.4/2004/6, 8 September 2003, para. 10; E/CN.4/2004/10/Add.2, 31 October 2003, para. 51). The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has also observed that "With the fence/wall cutting communities off from their land and water without other means of subsistence, many of the Palestinians living in these areas will be forced to leave." (E/CN.4/2004/10/Add.2, 31 October 2003, para. 51.) In this respect also the construction of the wall would effectively deprive a significant number of Palestinians of the "freedom to choose [their] residence". In addition, however, in the view of the Court, since a significant number of Palestinians have already been compelled by the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime to depart from certain areas, a process that will continue as more of the wall is built, that construction, coupled with the establishment of the Israeli settlements mentioned in paragraph 120 above, is tending to alter the demographic composition of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
134. To sum up, the Court is of the opinion that the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime impede the liberty of movement of the inhabitants of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (with the exception of Israeli citizens and those assimilated thereto) as guaranteed under Article 12, paragraph 1, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They also impede the exercise by the persons concerned of the right to work, to health, to education and to an adequate standard of living as proclaimed in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lastly, the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime, by contributing to the demographic changes referred to in paragraphs 122 and 133 above, contravene Article 49, paragraph 6, of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Security Council resolutions cited in paragraph 120 above.
Neither Article 46 of the Hague Regulations of 1907 nor Article 47 of the Fourth Geneva Convention contain any qualifying provision of this type. With regard to forcible transfers of population and deportations, which are prohibited under Article 49, paragraph 1, of the Convention, paragraph 2 of that Article provides for an exception in those cases in which "the security of the population or imperative military reasons so demand". This exception however does not apply to paragraph 6 of that Article, which prohibits the occupying Power from deporting or transferring parts of its own civilian population into the territories it occupies. As to Article 53 concerning the destruction of personal property, it provides for an exception "where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations".
The Court considers that the military exigencies contemplated by these texts may be invoked in occupied territories even after the general close of the military operations that led to their occupation. However, on the material before it, the Court is not convinced that the destructions carried out contrary to the prohibition in Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention were rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. 136. The Court would further observe that some human rights conventions, and in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, contain provisions which States parties may invoke in order to derogate, under various conditions, from certain of their conventional obligations. In this respect, the Court would however recall that the communication notified by Israel to the Secretary General of the United Nations under Article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights concerns only Article 9 of the Covenant, relating to the right to freedom and security of person (see paragraph 127 above); Israel is accordingly bound to respect all the other provisions of that instrument.
The Court would note, moreover, that certain provisions of human rights conventions contain clauses qualifying the rights covered by those provisions. There is no clause of this kind in Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. On the other hand, Article 12, paragraph 3, of that instrument provides that restrictions on liberty of movement as guaranteed under that Article "shall not be subject to any restrictions except those which are provided by law, are necessary to protect national security, public order (ordre public), public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others, and are consistent with the other rights recognized in the present Covenant". As for the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 4 thereof contains a general provision as follows: "The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize that, in the enjoyment of those rights provided by the State in conformity with the present Covenant, the State may subject such rights only to such limitations as are determined by law only in so far as this may be compatible with the nature of these rights and solely for the purpose of promoting the general welfare in a democratic society."
The Court would observe that the restrictions provided for under Article 12, paragraph 3, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are, by the very terms of that provision, exceptions to the right of freedom of movement contained in paragraph 1. In addition, it is not sufficient that such restrictions be directed to the ends authorized; they must also be necessary for the attainment of those ends. As the Human Rights Committee put it, they "must conform to the principle of proportionality" and "must be the least intrusive instrument amongst those which might achieve the desired result" (CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.9, General Comment No. 27, para. 14). On the basis of the information available to it, the Court finds that these conditions are not met in the present instance.
The Court would further observe that the restrictions on the enjoyment by the Palestinians living in the territory occupied by Israel of their economic, social and cultural rights, resulting from Israel's construction of the wall, fail to meet a condition laid down by Article 4 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, that is to say that their implementation must be "solely for the purpose of promoting the general welfare in a democratic society".
137. To sum up, the Court, from the material available to it, is not convinced that the specific course Israel has chosen for the wall was necessary to attain its security objectives. The wall, along the route chosen, and its associated r�gime gravely infringe a number of rights of Palestinians residing in the territory occupied by Israel, and the infringements resulting from that route cannot be justified by military exigencies or by the requirements of national security or public order. The construction of such a wall accordingly constitutes breaches by Israel of various of its obligations under the applicable international humanitarian law and human rights instruments.
138. The Court has thus concluded that the construction of the wall constitutes action not in conformity with various international legal obligations incumbent upon Israel. However, Annex I to the report of the Secretary General states that, according to Israel: "the construction of the Barrier is consistent with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, its inherent right to self defence and Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001)". More specifically, Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations asserted in the General Assembly on 20 October 2003 that "the fence is a measure wholly consistent with the right of States to self defence enshrined in Article 51 of the Charter"; the Security Council resolutions referred to, he continued, "have clearly recognized the right of States to use force in self defence against terrorist attacks", and therefore surely recognize the right to use non forcible measures to that end (A/ES 10/PV.21, p. 6).
"Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security."
Article 51 of the Charter thus recognizes the existence of an inherent right of self defence in the case of armed attack by one State against another State. However, Israel does not claim that the attacks against it are imputable to a foreign State. The Court also notes that Israel exercises control in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and that, as Israel itself states, the threat which it regards as justifying the construction of the wall originates within, and not outside, that territory. The situation is thus different from that contemplated by Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001), and therefore Israel could not in any event invoke those resolutions in support of its claim to be exercising a right of self defence.
140. The Court has, however, considered whether Israel could rely on a state of necessity which would preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall. In this regard the Court is bound to note that some of the conventions at issue in the present instance include qualifying clauses of the rights guaranteed or provisions for derogation (see paragraphs 135 and 136 above). Since those treaties already address considerations of this kind within their own provisions, it might be asked whether a state of necessity as recognized in customary international law could be invoked with regard to those treaties as a ground for precluding the wrongfulness of the measures or decisions being challenged. However, the Court will not need to consider that question. As the Court observed in the case concerning the Gabc�kovo Nagymaros Project (Hungary/Slovakia), "the state of necessity is a ground recognized by customary international law" that "can only be accepted on an exceptional basis"; it "can only be invoked under certain strictly defined conditions which must be cumulatively satisfied; and the State concerned is not the sole judge of whether those conditions have been met" (I.C.J. Reports 1997, p. 40, para. 51). One of those conditions was stated by the Court in terms used by the International Law Commission, in a text which in its present form requires that the act being challenged be "the only way for the State to safeguard an essential interest against a grave and imminent peril" (Article 25 of the International Law Commission's Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts; see also former Article 33 of the Draft Articles on the International Responsibility of States, with slightly different wording in the English text). In the light of the material before it, the Court is not convinced that the construction of the wall along the route chosen was the only means to safeguard the interests of Israel against the peril which it has invoked as justification for that construction. 141. The fact remains that Israel has to face numerous indiscriminate and deadly acts of violence against its civilian population. It has the right, and indeed the duty, to respond in order to protect the life of its citizens. The measures taken are bound nonetheless to remain in conformity with applicable international law. 142. In conclusion, the Court considers that Israel cannot rely on a right of self defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall resulting from the considerations mentioned in paragraphs 122 and 137 above. The Court accordingly finds that the construction of the wall, and its associated r�gime, are contrary to international law.
To summarize Articles 115 - 142: The ICJ rules that the construction of the wall is in violation of both international humanitarian and human rights law.
To quote, "... the Court is of the opinion that the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime impede the liberty of movement of the inhabitants of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (with the exception of Israeli citizens and those assimilated thereto) as guaranteed under Article 12, paragraph 1, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They also impede the exercise by the persons concerned of the right to work, to health, to education and to an adequate standard of living as proclaimed in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lastly, the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime, by contributing to the demographic changes referred to in paragraphs 122 and 133 above, contravene Article 49, paragraph 6, of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Security Council resolutions cited in paragraph 120 above." (article 134).
... and, "... the Court, from the material available to it, is not convinced that the specific course Israel has chosen for the wall was necessary to attain its security objectives. The wall, along the route chosen, and its associated régime gravely infringe a number of rights of Palestinians residing in the territory occupied by Israel, and the infringements resulting from that route cannot be justified by military exigencies or by the requirements of national security or public order. The construction of such a wall accordingly constitutes breaches by Israel of various of its obligations under the applicable international humanitarian law and human rights instruments." (article 137),
... and, “The Court is not convinced that the construction of the wall along the route chosen was the only means to safeguard the interests of Israel against the peril which it has invoked as justification for that construction” (article 140),
... and, "In conclusion, the Court considers that Israel cannot rely on a right of self defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall resulting from the considerations mentioned in paragraphs 122 and 137 above. The Court accordingly finds that the construction of the wall, and its associated régime, are contrary to international law" (article 142).
A breakdown of these articles:
115. The position of the PLO and others is that the wall is illegal because -- (1) it helps de facto annexation of part of the territories, (2) which interferes with the exercise of self-determination of the Palestinian people, (3) by attempting to change the demographic nature of the territories through reinforcement of the illegal Israeli settlements, (4) and by breaking up the continuity and reducing the size of the lands of Palestinian people.
REFERS TO: report of Secretary-General (Annex II) Summary Legal Position of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
116. Israel disagreed by saying that (1) the fence is temporary, and (2) is only designed to stop terrorists coming from within the West Bank.
REFERS TO: report of Secretary-General (para.29); statements from Israel S/PV.4841 (2003) (p. 10) & A/ES 10/PV.23 (2003) (p. 6).
117. Court restates the legal principle that territory cannot be acquired by force, and thus both the UN Security Council and General Assembly have (1) requested Israel's complete withdrawal, (2) recognition of everyone's right to live in peace, and (3) condemned Israel's efforts to change the status of Jerusalem. REFERS TO: SC res 242 (1967); ICJ Wall AO (paras 74,87,75).
118. Palestinian people's right of self-determination is based in the repeated recognition of the identity of the Palestinian people as a distinct people by both Israel and the UN.
REFERS TO: 1993 exchange of letters between Israel and PLO; Israeli-Palestine Interim Agreement (Preamble, paras. 4, 7, 8; Article II, para. 2; Article III, paras. 1 and 3; Article XXII, para. 2); GA res 58/163 (2003).
119. The Court notes that the government of Israel has specifically planned the route of the wall to include most of the Israeli settlements (which the Court believes are illegal - see art. 120). REFERS TO: ICJ Wall AO (para.85).
120. In agreement with UN Security Council resolutions 452 (1979) and 465 (1980), "the Court concludes that the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (including East Jerusalem) have been established in breach of international law". REFERS TO: Geneva Conventions IV (1949) (art. 49 (para.6)); SC res 446 (1979) & 452 (1979) & 465 (1980).
121. In disagreement with the claim by Israel that the wall is only defensive and temporary, the Court judges "...that the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime create a "fait accompli" on the ground that could well become permanent, in which case, and notwithstanding the formal characterization of the wall by Israel, it would be tantamount to de facto annexation". 122. The above is reinforced by statistics - that the wall closes 16% of West Bank off on the Israeli side, in which 80% of the Israeli settlers live, and in which 237,000 Palestinians live including 160,000 living in completely encircled communities cut off from the main of Palestinian society. REFERS TO: Secretary-General report; ICJ Wall AO (para.116).
122. REFERS TO: ICJ Wall AO (paras. 84,85,119).
124. Hague Regulations (1907) articles 43, 46, & 52 are applicable.
REFERS TO: Hague Regulations (1907) (Section II & III, esp. art. II.23(g) & III.43,46,52).
125. In the Geneva Conventions IV (1949), as per article 6, articles 1 to 12, 27, 29 to 34, 47, 49, 51, 52, 53, 59, 61 to 77, and 143 apply to occupations in general. REFERS TO: Geneva Conventions IV (1949) (art. 1-5,6(para.3),7-12,27, 29 to 34, 47, 49, 51, 52, 53, 59, 61 to 77, 143).
126. The Court judges articles 47, 49, 52, 53 and 59 apply specifically to the wall construction. REFERS TO: Geneva Conventions IV (1949) (art. 47, 49, 52, 53 & 59).
127. The Court notes Israel's claim that because it has been continuously threatened since its inception in 1948, and thus has been in a continuous official state of emergency since then, it thus applies derogation to Article 9 in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which applies personal liberties and thus to rules governing arrest and detention. Accepting this, the Court rules that all other articles of the Covenant still apply to Israel in the occupied territories. REFERS TO: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (art. 4(1) & 9); Israeli communication (1991).
128 - 129. In the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Court finds most relevant to the wall construction Articles 12, 13, & 17 (para. 1). In addition, the provisions protecting holy places is repeatedly reinforced by many agreements and treaties since 1878. 130. In the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Court finds most relevant to the wall construction, articles 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
REFERS TO: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (art. 12(1) & 17(1)); Treaty of Berlin (1878) (art. 62); Leage of Nations Mandate for Palestine (1922) (art. 13); GA res 181 (II); General Armistice Jordan-Israel (art. VIII); Peace Treaty Israel-Jordan (1994) (ART. 9(1)).
130. REFERS TO: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) (art. 6,7,11-14).
131. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) includes similar provisions in Articles 16, 24, 27 and 28, which are most relevant to the construction of the wall.
REFERS TO: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) (art. 16,24,27,28).
132. The destruction and requisition of private properties for construction of the wall violates Hague Regulations (1907) Articles 46 & 52 and Geneva Conventions IV (1949) Article 53.
REFERS TO: Report Secretary-General; Hague Regulations (1907) (art. 46 & 52); Geneva Conventions IV (1949) (art.53).
133 - 134. By causing the severe restriction on freedom of movement of Palestinian people only, and not Israeli settlers, thus harming access to work, education and medical facilities, the destruction of Palestinian crops and farmlands, closing off areas including fertile Palestinian farmlands and water wells, harming their food supply systems, thus forcing large numbers of Palestinian people to move away from their homes and communities thus closing down many businesses, and thus leading to severe alterations of the demographic composition of the occupied territories, (quote from art. 134) "...the Court is of the opinion that the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime impede the liberty of movement of the inhabitants of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (with the exception of Israeli citizens and those assimilated thereto) as guaranteed under Article 12, paragraph 1, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They also impede the exercise by the persons concerned of the right to work, to health, to education and to an adequate standard of living as proclaimed in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lastly, the construction of the wall and its associated r�gime, by contributing to the demographic changes referred to in paragraphs 122 and 133 above, contravene Article 49, paragraph 6, of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Security Council resolutions cited in paragraph 120 above".
REFERS TO: Report E/CN.4/2004/6 (2003) (para.9-10) of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, John Dugard, on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967; Commission on Human Rights res. 1993/2 A "Question of the Violation of Human Rights in the Occupied Arab Territories, including Palestine"; report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, A/58/311 (2003) (para. 26); report by the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Jean Ziegler, �The Right to Food�, Addendum, Mission to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, E/CN.4/2004/10/Add.2 (2003) (para.49,51); report of the Secretary General, para. 23-25; ICJ Wall AO (2003) (para.120,122,133); International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) (Art. 12, para.1); International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; Geneva Conventions IV (1949) (art. 49(6)).
135 - 136. The Court acknowledges that transfer of population and restriction of movement is allowable when it is necessary for military reasons or for its own protection, and this applies to both wartime and occupations (as per Hague Regulations and Geneva Conventions as well as the various human rights instruments), but the Court does not believe that the above negative impacts of the wall upon the Palestinian population qualify as military necessity or for its own protection because they violate the principle of proportionality and because they do so much harm and no good to the local population. REFERS TO: Hague Regulations (1907) (art. 46); Geneva Conventions IV (1949) (art. 47 & 49(1&2&6) & 53); International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (art. 4 & 9 & 12 (para.1&3) & 17); International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 4); ICJ Wall AO (para.127); communication of Israel to Secretary-General; report of Human Rights Commission CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.9, General Comment No. 27 (para. 14).
137. "To sum up, the Court, from the material available to it, is not convinced that the specific course Israel has chosen for the wall was necessary to attain its security objectives. The wall, along the route chosen, and its associated r�gime gravely infringe a number of rights of Palestinians residing in the territory occupied by Israel, and the infringements resulting from that route cannot be justified by military exigencies or by the requirements of national security or public order. The construction of such a wall accordingly constitutes breaches by Israel of various of its obligations under the applicable international humanitarian law and human rights instruments."
138 - 139. The Court acknowledges Israel's argument that the wall is simply an exercise in self-defense as is guaranteed by UN Charter and UN resolutions. But the Court points out that the attacks do not originate outside of Israel's jurisdiction as required in the UN Charter and resolutions. REFERS TO: UN Charter (art. 51); report of Secretary-General (Annex I); SC res 1368 (2001) & 1373 (2001); communication of Israel to GA (A/ES 10/PV.21, p. 6).
140. Furthermore, "the Court is not convinced that the construction of the wall along the route chosen was the only means to safeguard the interests of Israel against the peril which it has invoked as justification for that construction" as is required by international humanitarian and human rights law to make exception to its provisions.
REFERS TO: ICJ Wall AO (para.135-136); Gabc�kovo Nagymaros Project (Hungary/Slovakia), I.C.J. Reports 1997, p. 40, para. 51; International Law Commission�s Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (art.25); Draft Articles on the International Responsibility of States (art.33).
141. Thus, even though Israel has the right to defend itself, its measures of self-defense must conform to international law.
142. "In conclusion, the Court considers that Israel cannot rely on a right of self defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall resulting from the considerations mentioned in paragraphs 122 and 137 above. The Court accordingly finds that the construction of the wall, and its associated r�gime, are contrary to international law".
REFERS TO: ICJ Wall AO (para.122 & 137).
*NOTE - none of these violations would have occurred if the wall had been built on the Green line. Clearly, the court is judging the route of the wall to be the aspect that makes it illegal. And in none of its statements does Israel discuss why the wall needs to be built so far into the West Bank instead of on the Green line in order to realize its security concerns. This then suggests that Israel had other motivations for building the wall so far into the West Bank and far from the Green line - such as land grab to increase Israel's holdings and force the Palestinian people into still smaller areas of Palestine, as they have done in Israel itself.