Tipping Point Quick Hits (1.5.23)

The UN against Israel, growing antisemitism, and the reopening of China

UN Court Considering Consequences for Israel

Just a few days after Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel’s prime minister, the UN General Assembly has asked the International Court of Justice to “consider consequences” related to Israel’s presence in the West Bank. The ICJ is the highest judicial body of the UN. The proposal equates Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as an “annexation” of territories and recommends steps the UN should take against Israel as a result:

The resolution calls on the UN court in The Hague to determine the “legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” as well as of its measures “aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status” of Jerusalem.

The United States, Great Britain and Germany opposed the resolution. Other western nations split in support with a vote of 87 to 26 (with 53 abstentions). Islamic/Arab states overwhelmingly supported it—including those Abraham Accords states with normalized ties with Israel. The vote occurred on the Jewish Sabbath, which mean that Israel did not even get to participate.