As I said, Smotrich says what most of the supporters of Israel are thinking. But does anyone in the U.S. give any importance to the decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding the illegality of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and the Palestinians' right to self-determination? What do Republicans and Democrats do? Some, more than others, ignore, condemn, intimidate, pressure, and some even threaten the Hague Tribunal.
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A closer look at the facts shows how the governments that are most vocal in the rhetorical defense of a rules-based international order often violate the most basic rules of that order. By the way, take a look at what is happening with Western Sahara. In late 2020, the Trump administration declared that it recognized Moroccan sovereignty over that territory, flagrantly violating the basic principles of international law enshrined in the United Nations Charter. But since Trump is a declared enemy of a rules-based international order, this was not exactly a surprise. Two years later (2022), the government of Madrid decided to follow Trump's lead and gave its support to a supposed autonomy for Western Sahara within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. The basic principle of peoples' right to self-determination was overridden by business diplomacy. Two years later (2024), we now have Macron imitating the Spanish government and Trump, officially supporting the Moroccan plan for "autonomy with occupation." A few days ago, we heard from several African countries in the UN's Committee of 24 what one expects to hear from defenders of a rules-based international order: Western Sahara is the last African colony that has yet to achieve its freedom. The only path forward is to hold a referendum on self-determination. It is not enough to be vocal in condemning Russia, which, in Ukraine, violates the rules-based international order.
Question of Western Sahara - Report of the Secretary- July 24
A descolonização não é uma anexação Expresso.
(Decolonization is not annexation, self-determination is not autonomy)