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07/02/2004:

"Israel Will Ignore World Court Barrier Ruling"

It is appropriate that Israel would call on the US to help them circumvent the World Court. They have after all shown their contempt for justice with this kangaroo court thing they've got going in Baghdad. How about giving Saddam access to his lawyers, for example? Again, and I keep asking, how does this folly play in the Arab world?

Reuters article

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israel's foreign minister said on Friday his government would not accept a World Court ruling on the legality of its West Bank barrier and pressed for U.S. support to block any U.N. action against the Jewish state.

The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, will render its judgment in a public hearing on July 9, one of the most high-profile rulings in its 58-year history.

``We believe that Israel can deal with this issue by itself,'' Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said at the White House after talks with U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. ``We can't accept any external involvement from the International Court of Justice.''

``We don't believe it's the place that this issue should be discussed. It should be discussed between the two parties -- the Israelis and the Palestinians -- with other members that are involved in the peace process,'' he told reporters.

The U.N.'s top court said it would hand down an ``advisory opinion.'' Such a ruling is non-binding, but Israel fears the General Assembly, where pro-Palestinian sentiment is strong, could use it to lobby for sanctions against the Jewish state.