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Preparing for the Next ICJ Debacle
The UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ). Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
JNS.org – In the theater of the absurd commonly known as the International Court of Justice, judges are again preparing to ignore history and facts. Having weaponized the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide against the Jewish state, the judges are now preparing to hear oral arguments on the next oxymoron: The “legal consequences” of the “Israeli occupation” of “Palestinian territory.”
The glaring problem with this is that there is no such entity as the “Palestinian territories.” The term is an invented one used to define areas allocated by the international community to the Jewish state, which were then illegally invaded by Egypt and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Any discussion anchored on this false terminology should immediately be ignored and scorned.
In December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly, prompted by the Palestinian Authority, adopted a resolution to request from the ICJ an advisory opinion on the following question:
“Considering the rules and principles of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, relevant resolutions of the Security Council, the General Assembly, and the Human Rights Council, and the advisory opinion of the Court of July 9, 2004:
“a) What are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement, and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures?
“b) How do the policies and practices of Israel referred to in paragraph 18 (a) above affect the legal status of the occupation, and what are the legal consequences that arise for all States and the United Nations from this status?”
Following the request, the ICJ set a July 25, 2023 deadline for initial written statements to be submitted, with responses to be submitted by Oct. 25, 2023 and oral arguments to be made starting Feb. 19, 2024.
The underlying assumption of this debacle is that Israel is in some way “occupying” “Palestinian territory.” But is that really the case?
In reality, never in history has an independent country called “Palestine” ever existed.
In reality, the area the UNGA claims and has asked the ICJ to consider as “Palestinian territory” was controlled for 400 years by the Ottoman Empire.
In reality, after World War I, the international community repeatedly allocated the entire area from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, from Lebanon to the Red Sea, for the sole purpose of reconstituting the Jewish homeland.
In reality, the 1923 division of the geographical area called “Palestine” into two separate areas, one to be called the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the other remaining Jewish Palestine, was the real “two-state solution.”
In reality, in 1947, the United Nations offered the Arabs an opportunity to create another Arab country to the west of the Jordan River alongside Israel, but the Arabs refused. Instead, five Arab armies attacked the nascent Jewish state with the stated and express goal of throwing the Jews into the sea.
From 1948 to 1967, Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip and Jordan controlled Judea and Samaria, which it renamed “The West Bank.” During that time, no U.N. resolution of the General Assembly or the Security Council demanded that Egypt and Jordan retreat and desist from occupying those areas. No such request was made of Jordan since Jordan saw Palestine as an integral part of Jordan.
In reality, even U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, from November 1967, does not mention, even once, the notion of occupied “Palestinian” territory.
In fact, the idea that a State of Palestine ever existed and that Israel is occupying “Palestinian territory” seems to prove the billboard advertisement that “Palestine” is the only country in the world that did not exist before it was “occupied.”
Sadly, as the judges demonstrated with their shameful decision on the false claim of South Africa against Israel when it comes to the Jewish state, history, facts and the truth are just not relevant.
Originally published by The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
The post Preparing for the Next ICJ Debacle first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Belgian Premier Rejects Genocide Allegations Against Israel, Says Not the Time for ‘Palestinian State’ Recognition

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever speaks at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (not pictured) in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 8, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever rejected a journalist’s claim that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza and argued it is premature to recognize a “Palestinian state” at this time, marking a notable departure from the previous administration’s anti-Israel stance.
During an interview on Wednesday with VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster, journalist Goedele Devroy questioned the Belgian leader about the parliament’s position on the ongoing war in Gaza and a possible shift in its approach toward Israel, following his assertions that the Jewish state is committing genocide in the war-torn enclave.
“On recognizing Palestine, I hear that the majority [in parliament] is working on a resolution to sharpen the tone against the genocide that’s happening there by Israel,” Devroy said.
De Wever rejected the premise of the question, which dismissed Israel’s defensive actions against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.
“Your line of questioning is extremely dubious,” the Belgian premier said. “You’re already operating under the assumption of genocide — that is something for the International Court of Justice to determine.”
Lady, not so fast 🫸
Belgian Prime Minister rebukes journalist over ‘genocide’ claim and says that before recognising #Palestine, several issues must be resolved. Thank you Prime Minister @Bart_DeWever for your clear message on this day, the 77th anniversary of Israel.Video by… pic.twitter.com/WbqWPDpsmt
— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) May 1, 2025
When asked about the possibility of recognizing a “Palestinian state,” De Wever dismissed the idea, stating that it is not the right time, as there are still many unresolved issues that need to be addressed.
“What territory are we recognizing? Which authority? Is it democratic, legitimate? Is it committed to recognizing Israel, to the demilitarization of Hamas and to providing security guarantees, with broader implications for the Arab world?” the Belgian leader said.
Under Belgium’s previous Socialist-led government, the country had been one of Israel’s most vocal critics within the European Union.
For example, Belgium joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Since December 2023, South Africa has been pursuing its case at the ICJ, accusing Jerusalem of committing “state-led genocide” in its defensive military campaign that followed the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel.
The previous government also committed to honoring an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and now-deceased Hamas terror leader Ibrahim al-Masri (better known as Mohammed Deif) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza war.
The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for starvation in Gaza and the persecution of Palestinians — charges vehemently denied by Israel, which until a recently imposed blockade had provided significant humanitarian aid into the enclave throughout the war.
Israel also says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, despite Hamas’s widely acknowledged military strategy of embedding its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeering civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks.
However, since taking office, De Wever has shifted Belgium’s foreign policy toward a more pro-Israel stance. His center-right government, led by the National Flemish Alliance party, took power this year after winning the largest share of votes in Belgium’s 2024 general election.
Last month, De Wever said that Belgium would not enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu if he were to visit the country.
“There is such a thing as realpolitik,” he said in an interview with VRT. “I don’t think any European country would arrest Netanyahu if he were on their territory. France wouldn’t do it, and I don’t think we would either.”
The post Belgian Premier Rejects Genocide Allegations Against Israel, Says Not the Time for ‘Palestinian State’ Recognition first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Says Fewer Than 24 Hostages Still Alive in Gaza, Offers Sympathies to Family of Edan Alexander

US President Donald Trump speaks at the White House, in Washington, DC, Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he has become aware that fewer than 24 hostages are still alive in Gaza, heightening urgency to rescue the remaining survivors in the war-torn enclave.
“Out of 59, you had 24 that were living, and now I understand that it’s not even that number,” Trump said during a National Day of Prayer event at the White House.
For several months, Israeli officials have stated that 24 of the 59 hostages who remain in captivity were believed to still be alive in Gaza. However, during a public appearance earlier this week, Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed the actual number was lower than the official count.
During his remarks on the White House lawn acknowledging the National Day of Prayer, Trump extended sympathies to the family of Edan Alexander, the final American hostage still believed to be alive in Gaza. Alexander’s parents, Adi and Yael, were seated in the audience during Trump’s speech.
“We don’t know how he’s doing, really…. We think we know, and hopefully [it’s] positive,” Trump said, referencing Alexander’s uncertain condition. “Two months ago, we were pretty sure. It looked like he was getting out. But they’ve toughened up a little bit. And it’s a terrible thing, I know, what you’re going through.”
Trump expressed support for the families of the remaining hostages still in Gaza, acknowledging their emotional turmoil.
“We’re working very, very hard to save your son,” he continues. “We have news coming out — both good and bad.”
Alexander, a 21-year-old New Jersey native and soldier in the Israeli army, was taken hostage by Hamas during the Palestinian terrorist group’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel. More than 250 people were kidnapped as hostages during the onslaught.
Alexander’s unknown fate has drawn a great deal of attention in both the US and Israel due to his American citizenship.
In April, Hamas released a video of Alexander showing the IDF solider alive. However, days later, the terrorist group claimed to lack knowledge of Alexander’s fate, saying that they lost contact with the guards holding him hostage after the location was allegedly hit in an Israeli airstrike.
The post Trump Says Fewer Than 24 Hostages Still Alive in Gaza, Offers Sympathies to Family of Edan Alexander first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US-Iran Nuclear Talks Postponed Amid Rising Tensions

USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, Sept. 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
The fourth round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, which were set to take place in Rome this weekend, have been postponed, with a new date yet to be announced amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced that the fourth round of indirect nuclear talks with US officials, originally scheduled for May 3, had been postponed at the suggestion of the Omani Foreign Minister, who mediated previous negotiations between the two adversaries.
In a post on X, the top Omani diplomat, Badr Albusaidi, confirmed that the upcoming talks had been delayed, stating that new dates will be announced once both sides reach a mutual agreement.
“For logistical reasons, we are rescheduling the US-Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday, May 3rd,” Albusaidi said.
For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd. New dates will be announced when mutually agreed.
— Badr Albusaidi – بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) May 1, 2025
Earlier on Thursday, Iran accused Washington of “contradictory behavior and provocative statements” following remarks by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who warned Tehran of severe consequences for supporting Yemen’s Houthi militia, an internationally designated terrorist group.
The Iran-backed group, which controls northern Yemen, has been targeting ships in the Red Sea since November 2023, disrupting global trade, while justifying the attacks as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.
Iran’s accusation against Washington also comes after the US imposed new oil-related sanctions on Tehran this week, as US President Donald Trump continued pursing negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program.
As part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran — which aims to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon — Washington has been targeting Tehran’s oil industry with mounting sanctions.
“US sanctions on Iran during the nuclear talks are not helping the sides to resolve the nuclear dispute through diplomacy,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters. “Depending on the US approach, the date of the next round of talks will be announced.”
Last month, the two adversaries held their first official nuclear negotiation since the US withdrew from a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal that had imposed temporary limits on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.
The first and third rounds of talks were held in Oman, while the second round took place in Rome at the residence of the Omani ambassador.
Tehran has previously rejected halting its uranium enrichment program, insisting that the country’s right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable, despite Washington’s threats of military action, additional sanctions, and tariffs if an agreement is not reached to curb Iran’s nuclear activities.
However, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said that any deal with Iran must require the complete dismantling of its “nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.” Witkoff’s comments came after he received criticism for suggesting the Islamic Republic would be allowed to maintain its nuclear program in a limited capacity.
Despite Iran’s claims that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes rather than weapon development, Western states have said there is no “credible civilian justification” for the country’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”
The post US-Iran Nuclear Talks Postponed Amid Rising Tensions first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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