'The wheel of justice turns slowly': Palestine ambassador to the Netherlands
Published date: 14 May 2025 12:34 BST
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Last update: 1 month 1 week ago
The International Court of Justice on 28 April 2025 began hearings into Israel's obligations towards the presence and activities of the UN, other international organisations and third states in occupied Palestine.
Following the proceedings, Middle East Eye News Editor Sondos Asem spoke to Ammar Hijazi, the Palestinian ambassador to international organisations in The Hague and to the Netherlands.
Hijazi had spoken to the court that day on the dire situation in Gaza under Israel's complete siege.
Below is the full transcript of Hijazi's remarks to MEE:
"We think it went very well. It laid down the legal responsibilities of Israel as an illegal occupying power. It showed that it is in violation of its duties as an occupying power under international humanitarian law, but under other elements of international law, including international human rights law. It showed that it was in violation of its duties as a member state at the United Nations, and thus there are consequences for these violations, and Israel should be held to account for these violations.
As such, we think that it is common sense—and this is what the whole international system is based on in these deliberations—and if we allow each state to go rogue, as Israel is—defying international law, defying orders of the court, defying the advisory opinion of the court, defying Security Council resolutions—then the whole international system that is based on law will collapse.
We expect the court to delineate the law and to explain exactly what is being violated and to set in stone how states and third-party states should uphold these responsibilities. We know that Israel will not comply with whatever comes from this court, but it is now up to third states and those who claim that they are attached to and they protect the international law-based system to take measures and to uphold these norms.
We know that the wheel of justice turns slowly and the criminality on the ground is moving very fast—it might not catch up with it. But at a certain point, Israel will be held to account for these crimes. It will not go unchecked.
It is a huge weight on our shoulders as representatives of the tormented and persecuted people of Palestine. Our people are being massacred, genocided, and are under so much duress and pressure. We rely on their resilience, and we take power from that resilience, and we will continue to push forward in order for the world to stop applying double standards and to hold Israel to the same standards that the international community holds other states."
Following the proceedings, Middle East Eye News Editor Sondos Asem spoke to Ammar Hijazi, the Palestinian ambassador to international organisations in The Hague and to the Netherlands.
Hijazi had spoken to the court that day on the dire situation in Gaza under Israel's complete siege.
Below is the full transcript of Hijazi's remarks to MEE:
"We think it went very well. It laid down the legal responsibilities of Israel as an illegal occupying power. It showed that it is in violation of its duties as an occupying power under international humanitarian law, but under other elements of international law, including international human rights law. It showed that it was in violation of its duties as a member state at the United Nations, and thus there are consequences for these violations, and Israel should be held to account for these violations.
As such, we think that it is common sense—and this is what the whole international system is based on in these deliberations—and if we allow each state to go rogue, as Israel is—defying international law, defying orders of the court, defying the advisory opinion of the court, defying Security Council resolutions—then the whole international system that is based on law will collapse.
We expect the court to delineate the law and to explain exactly what is being violated and to set in stone how states and third-party states should uphold these responsibilities. We know that Israel will not comply with whatever comes from this court, but it is now up to third states and those who claim that they are attached to and they protect the international law-based system to take measures and to uphold these norms.
We know that the wheel of justice turns slowly and the criminality on the ground is moving very fast—it might not catch up with it. But at a certain point, Israel will be held to account for these crimes. It will not go unchecked.
It is a huge weight on our shoulders as representatives of the tormented and persecuted people of Palestine. Our people are being massacred, genocided, and are under so much duress and pressure. We rely on their resilience, and we take power from that resilience, and we will continue to push forward in order for the world to stop applying double standards and to hold Israel to the same standards that the international community holds other states."
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