Palestine is about to sue the US: A calculated move
(Baonghean) - A notable piece of information last weekend was that Palestine began proceedings to sue the US at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) based in The Hague, Netherlands, regarding the US moving its embassy from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Jerusalem.
This development is increasing the already tumultuous tension between the US and Palestine. What is the Palestinian Authority calculating with this strategic move?
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| Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is determined in the legal battle with the US. Photo: AFP |
Suspicion and prejudice
Despite US President Donald Trump recently declaring for the first time his support for a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict, relations between the US and Palestine have not cooled down.
In a statement, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responded to the US side that the "prejudiced" government of Donald Trump still lacks the goodwill to break down all suspicions so that the parties can sit at the negotiating table and move towards a peaceful solution.
President Abbas also affirmed that Palestine will not accept the US as the sole mediator in the Middle East peace process. Meanwhile, of course, Palestine has so far not been able to accept the US's suspension of aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Dr. Hanan Ashrawi in a statement condemned the US government and considered this an "inhumane and reckless decision".
The last straw came when the Trump administration recently announced that it had prepared a new peace plan called the “Deal of the Century,” which is said to go against the peace plan that Palestinian President Abbas presented to the United Nations Security Council in February of this year.
In particular, Mr. Abbas's plan is based on a two-state solution, consistent with the 1967 borders while recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.
Therefore, the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem clearly contradicts the views of the Palestinian President.
Faced with such US moves, the Palestinian Authority has turned to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to seek fair judgment.
On September 28, the State of Palestine initiated proceedings to sue the United States at the ICJ - the main legal body of the United Nations, accusing the United States of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 18, 1961, when it moved its Embassy from Israel to Jerusalem. At the same time, Palestine also asked the International Court of Justice to force the United States to withdraw its Embassy from Jerusalem.
Political leverage
With the advantage of international support, Palestine hopes that this lawsuit against the US can once again increase its voice and position in the international community.
The most important of these is the ability to publicly denounce the US's actions at a prestigious UN court. Previously, since last May, the issue of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has become the focus of the international community after the US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
It is also worth mentioning that the status of Jerusalem has long been a sensitive issue, playing a key role in the Middle East peace process. Looking back at history, in the 1967 war, Israel occupied East Jerusalem and declared the entire city of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.
However, the international community does not recognize Tel Aviv's sovereignty, while Palestine has always identified East Jerusalem as the capital of the future State of Palestine.
On the US side, it is clear that in the context that US President Donald Trump has countless domestic and foreign issues to resolve, especially when the important midterm elections are approaching, the Palestinian lawsuit will more or less make Donald Trump worry and consider more policies towards Palestine.
Especially recently, another country with many "debts", Iran, also decided to sue the US at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to oppose the Trump administration's restoration of economic sanctions against this country.
Such a series of lawsuits will certainly be a heavy blow to America's reputation and political position, which has been continuously declining in recent times.
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| Signs leading to the US Embassy in Jerusalem. Photo: Reuters |
However, according to observers, the US will certainly oppose Palestine's lawsuit or argue that this Court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case, as it did with Iran recently.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice, established in 1946 to resolve disputes between countries - the highest court of the United Nations, although it can make binding decisions, the court has no authority to enforce. Therefore, in the past, many countries have ignored the judgments of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Therefore, it can be said that the legal battle with the US that Palestine has decided to pursue will certainly be very long, accompanied by many obstacles and challenges. Of course, at this time, Palestine still has to wait for the International Court of Justice to handle and accept the lawsuit as it did with Iran recently.
But perhaps, these difficulties more than ever affirm the determination to gain independence and seek a peaceful and stable future of the Palestinian government and people./.
