- The White House on Friday brushed aside a ruling by the
International Court of Justice on the West Bank separation fence, saying
it didn't think it was the right forum for addressing the issue.
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- "We do not believe that that's the appropriate forum
to resolve what is a political issue. This is an issue that should be resolved
through the process that has been put in place, specifically the road map,"
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said aboard Air Force One as President
George W. Bush was en route to a campaign tour in Pennsylvania.
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- "We certainly recognize the need for Israel to defend
itself and protect the people of Israel. It's also important that they
allow the Palestinian people to move freely within that region," McClellan
told reporters.
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- New York senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer
announced that they will deliver statements against the International Court's
decision in front of the United Nations building in New York City.
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- The European Commission said that the court appeared
to have confirmed the European Union's view that the fence is illegal and
urged the Israelis to remove it from occupied territory.
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- "The European Union continues to call on Israel
to remove the barrier from inside the occupied Palestinian territories,
including in and around East Jerusalem," European Commission Spokesman
Jean Christophe Filori said.
-
- The National Director of the Anti-Defamation League,
Abe Foxman, said, "We though for a moment the court would rise above
prejudice, but as it turns out, it didn't."
-
- The ruling was meant to be a critical moment not only
for Israel but also for the court's legitimacy, Foxman added.
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- Jordan, a key litigant before the ICJ, hailed the ruling,
saying it carried "large legal, ethical and political weight."
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- "The ICJ's ruling, that was adopted with a large
majority of 14 judges out of 15, represents a large legal, ethical and
political weight which Israel cannot ignore," Foreign Minister Marwan
Muasher said.
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- "The decision indicates that the tribunal has accepted
all Jordanian arguments and rejected all pretexts cited by Israel, which
alleged the construction of the wall was a strategic requirement necessitated
by security considerations," he added.
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- Muasher said that his government was "appraising
the implications of the decision with a view to taking all necessary steps
to urge Israel to implement the ruling."
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