Indian bishops for an independent Palestinian state
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - The Office for Justice, Peace and Development (OJPD) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) wrote to External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid ahead of the UN vote on Palestine urging him to back recognition for Palestine as a non-member state and to take effective action against illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories.
"It is heartening to learn that India has been reiterating its unwavering support for the Palestinian people's struggle for a sovereign, independent, viable and united State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, within secure and recognized borders, side-by-side and at peace with Israel," wrote Fr Charles Irudayam, OJPD secretary, in the letter.
The UN vote is expected on 29 November, International Day for solidarity with Palestine, anniversary of the 1947 vote on the partition of Palestine between an Arab and a Jewish state.
"Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including those in East Jerusalem, have been deemed illegal under international law," said the OJPD, which is part of the international Catholic movement Pax Christi. "The international community has the duty to ensure Israel's respect for international humanitarian law. In the advisory opinion on the Wall, in 2004, the International Court of Justice reconfirmed the illegality of the Israeli settlements, and highlighted that the members of the international community have the 'duty of non-recognition'."
"These settlements have enabled more than half a million Israeli citizens to live in occupied Palestinian territory and systematically obstruct the possibility of a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, a solution that India has endorsed often enough," the bishops said.
What is more, more than 43 per cent of land in the West Bank, along with the vast majority of water and natural resources, have been seized from Palestinians and allocated to settlements.
In view of the upcoming vote, Israel is playing its card on the diplomatic table. Its great concern is that once admitted as non-member state, the Palestinian Authority might apply for membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. That way, it could file suits against Israel for war crimes or against its settlements in the occupied territories.
Israel is not a member of the ICC so any of the latter's rulings would not apply to it. However, cases brought against Israel or Israeli political leaders could encourage the anti-Israel boycott and a veto against Israeli products made in illegal Israeli settlements.
In fact, the Office for Justice, Peace and Development wants to end support to Israeli companies set up in the territories and is in favour of a boycott of illegal settlements.
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