Tunisia-Al-Abidi: “There must be material force to enforce decision of ICJ so that it does not remain dead letter” [Video]

“In a statement to Tunisie Numérique, former diplomat Abdullah Al-Aidi remarked today on the decision made by the International Court of Justice concerning the lawsuit South Africa filed against Israel. The Court ordered Israel to take all required measures to stop acts of genocide in Gaza. He cited that this is a historic decision, as it’s rare for resolutions from the International Court of Justice to be passed to the UN Security Council.

He stressed that the International Court of Justice generally lacks the direct means to implement its decisions. This often necessitates the involvement of influential nations like the United States, Russia, and other powers, to ensure the decision is not merely symbolic. He stressed that the condemned country, in this case, Israel, would resist the decision with its resources and the support of major powers. Consequently, material resources are needed to enforce the ruling effectively.

He further added that while the decision would exercise moral pressure on Israel, the country might not give it significant attention. This is mainly because its supporting nations, including most of the European Union countries and the United States – which is heading into a presidential election where candidates often compete over their support for Israel – might not enforce the decision.

In his concluding statement, our speaker stressed that the implementation of this decision is ultimately a matter of power. Nevertheless, Israel is currently required to admit and comply with the Court’s decision, as he expressed.”