KUALA LUMPUR: International law remains the most viable framework to secure justice and achieve Palestinian statehood despite a history of enforcement failures, Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said, warning that abandoning legal norms would leave smaller states vulnerable to global exploitation.
In an interview with Astro AWANI's Consider This on Thursday, Aghabekian acknowledged a growing skepticism toward global institutions as the war in Gaza continues to test the limits of international accountability and diplomatic pressure.
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"International law has failed us, numerous times. But would we want a world without international law? Would we want a world ruled by the more powerful devouring the weaker? No.
"International law today is under a lot of threat but a world with international law under threat is better than a world without international law.
"We need to continue saying that our compass is on international law," she said.
The minister added that the body of existing resolutions "cannot be erased" and provides the necessary legal architecture to support Palestinian demands on the global stage.
Aghabekian pointed to ongoing cases currently before the world’s highest judicial bodies. These proceedings, she suggested, serve as proof that Palestinian claims maintain international legal recognition.
She pointed to a landmark International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion in 2004 declaring Israel's West Bank barrier illegal under international law. Despite the landmark ruling, the barrier remains, illustrating the persistent divide between judicial opinion and "realities on the ground."
More recently, the ICJ said in 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is unlawful and should end, reinforcing Palestinian claims, but the ruling remains non-binding and dependent on political will to implement.
Separately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled in 2021 that it has jurisdiction over alleged crimes in Palestinian territories, paving the way for investigations, although cases have yet to result in convictions.
