Israel vows to push on with barrier despite UN vote
UN resolution demands Israel obey ICJ's decision calling on Jewish state to tear down part of West Bank fence.
"The resolution adopted by the UN is aimed at depriving us of this security shield without offering us an alternative way of protecting ourselves against terrorism," said Dore Gold, a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
"We have every right to defend ourselves and are determined to construct this fence," Gold, a former ambassador to the United Nations, said.
President Moshe Katsav also insisted that "the security fence is helping to prevent bloodshed and is aiding moderate Palestinian leaders."
The general assembly voted by 150 to six late Tuesday, with 10 abstentions, to endorse a recent non-binding world court ruling that said the barrier was illegal and that parts already built on Palestinian land should be torn down.
Assembly resolutions also have no legal force but represent the majority of world opinion, and the Palestinians scored a victory in getting the 25-member European Union to unite behind the measure. The United States was among the handful of states that voted against the resolution.
The Palestinians said that the international community must not allow Israel to simply ignore the resolution, with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's top aide saying it was now time to consider the imposition of sanctions.
"It's the international community's responsibility to persuade the Israeli government, which is still insisting that it will build the wall, to comply with its will," Nabil Abu Rudeina said.
"We are asking the international community to impose sanctions on Israel if it does not comply with international law."
Negotiations minister Saeb Erakat said it was time that the international community stopped allowing Israel to act as "a state above the law".
"It (the UN resolution) confirms the illegal nature of the Israeli occupation and annuls all the measures in the Palestinian occupied territories, including east Jerusalem," he said.
"The decision is a major victory for Palestinian diplomacy and the Palestinian people as well as Arab diplomacy."
Surveying the diplomatic damage, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations denounced what he called the "disgraceful support" of the EU nations, singling out France for particular criticism.
"France behaved in a particularly disgraceful fashion by acting for its Palestinian friends and convincing the other European countries to adopt this resolution," Dan Gillerman told public radio.
The foreign ministry called into question the ability of the European Union - one of the four sponsors of the troubled roadmap peace plan - to play an impartial role in the peace process.
"This raises the question of whether the European Union is able to positively contribute to the political process," a statement said.
Russia, another of the sponsors, however called the UN decision "constructive and balanced" and expressed hope that it would help restart the peace process.
The Palestinians are now likely to try to push the issue to a vote at the Security Council but the US is almost certain to use its veto power to block such a move.
Israel had already said that it had no intention of respecting the non-binding verdict by the International Court of Justice, arguing that the barrier is vital to defend itself against suicide attacks.
The Palestinians say its route, often jutting deep into the West Bank, shows Israel's real intent is to preempt the borders of their promised future state.
By Marius Schattner - JERUSALEM