Flagrant Violation of International Law

The Israeli occupation recent decision to give the go ahead for Afek Oil will to begin drilling in the occupied Golan Heights violates international law and United Nations resolutions and contradict every sense of reason and logic.

Afek Oil, controlled by the US’s Genie Energy, is run by Israel’s former Minister of National Infrastructure, Effie Eitam. The US former Vice President Dick Cheney also works as an advisor for the company.

According to Middle East Monitor, Professor of International Law at Cairo University, Dr Ahmad Abu Al-Wafa, told the Anadolu Agency that the move contradicts international resolutions regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict, in particular resolution No. 3175 which recognises the right of Arab states and people under foreign occupation to have sovereignty over their national resources.

Abu Al-Wafa pointed out that all measures taken by Israel to exploit the human or natural resources in the occupied Arab lands are illegal, stressing that the UN General Assembly affirms the right of Arab countries and people whose territories were occupied by Israel to recover their lands.

The United Nations resolution No. 3175 says that Arab states are entitled to full compensation for the exploitation of their natural resources and the damages they sustained as a result of the occupation, he said.

The Supreme Court of Israel issued a decision last year to temporarily halt all oil exploration operations undertaken by Afek Oil, but it cancelled the decision on 23 December, 2014.

Meanwhile, protests by environmentalists resulted in the postponement of the drilling on several occasions.

The Chairman of the Popular Committee for the Defence of Egypt’s Oil Rights, Dr Ramadan Abu El-Ella, said that Israel is using the chaos in Syria to violate its natural resources without any respect to international law.

He said that Syria, Egypt and Arab countries which suffered from the Israeli aggression during the 1967 war have a right to compensation.

The popular committee to defend Egypt’s oil rights initiated international lawsuits against Israel demanding $10 billion in compensation for depleting Egypt’s oil reserves in the period from 1967 until 1974, during Israel’s occupation of the Sinai

Abu El-Ella said that Syria has the legal right to demand compensation from Israel for stealing its natural resources during the occupation according to international law and international treaties and resolutions.

On  December 17th, 1973, the united Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution numbered 3175. The Resolution regarding the Permanent sovereignty over national resources in the occupied Arab territories stipulates that:

Bearing in mind the relevant principles of international law and the provisions of the international conventions and regulations, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention, 1/ concerning the obligations and responsibilities of the occupying Power,

Recalling its previous resolutions on permanent sovereignty over natural resources, including resolution 1803 (XVII) of 18 December 1962, in which it declared the right of peoples and nations to permanent sovereignty over their natural wealth and resources,

Recalling the pertinent provisions of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade,2/

Recalling also its resolution 3005 (XXXVII) of 15 December 1972, in which it affirmed the principle of the sovereignty of the population of the occupied territories over their national wealth and resources and called upon all States, international organizations and specialized agencies not to recognize or co-operate with, or assist in any manner in, any measures undertaken by the occupied Power to exploit the resources of the occupied territories or to effect any changes in the demographic composition or geographic character of institutional structure of those territories,

1- Affirms the right of the Arab States and peoples whose territories are under foreign occupation to permanent sovereignty over all their natural resources;

2- Reaffirms that all measures undertaken by Israel to exploit the human and natural resources of the occupied Arab territories are illegal and calls upon Israel to halt such measures forthwith;

3- Affirms the right of the Arab States and peoples whose territories are under Israeli occupation to the restitution of and full compensation for the exploitation and looting of, and damages to, the natural resources, as well as the exploitation and manipulation of the human resources, of the occupied territories;

4-. Declares that the above principles apply to all States, territories and peoples under foreign occupation, colonial rule or apartheid.

Dr. Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim

alibrahim56@hotmail.com