As Western countries continue to support Israel, China has stood with Palestine since October 7, stating recently that it supports armed struggle of Palestinian fighters against the Israeli occupation.
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, and at the same time as Western countries are still supporting Israel against Hamas, China has been among the few powers that support the Palestinian side in the war.
This Wednesday, China participated in the fourth day of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a case against Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. There, Chinese officials openly expressed Beijing’s support for the right of Palestinians to restore to “armed struggle” against Israel if the Israeli military continues its deadly attacks in Palestinian lands.
“In pursuit of the right to self-determination [the Palestinian people have the right to the] use of force to resist foreign oppression and to complete the establishment of the Palestinian state. China believes that armed resistance against occupation is enshrined in international law and is not terrorism,” Ma Xinmin said Wednesday.
Asserting that Palestinians do have the right to defend themselves against the Israeli occupation, Chinese Foreign Ministry legal adviser Ma Xinmin said that armed struggle against Israeli by Palestinians is not “terrorism”.
“Various people freed themselves from colonial rule through armed resistance. Therefore, Palestine’s acts of resistance against the Israeli occupation are not terrorism, but a legitimate armed struggle and an inalienable right,” he argued.
Citing from China’s President Xi Jinping that the country wants a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza war, the Chinese official also asserted that peace cannot be achieved between Israel and Palestine unless Israel accepts the rights of Palestine on the basis of a two-state solution through negotiation.
Iran and Iraq also stand for Palestine during ICJ hearing
After China, Iran took the podium and expressed support for Palestine in its fight against Israel. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Reza Najafi, who represented Iran in the hearing rebuked Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands by highlighting Israel’s historic violations of Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
“The establishment of the Israeli regime was done through a violent process which involved the forcible displacement of native Palestinian people to create a majority Jewish colony in line with the Zionist movement,” Najafi said at the hearing.
Najafi criticized the UN Security Council (UNSC) for what he described as the UNSC’s “inaction or insufficient action,” in dealing with Israel’s attacks against Gazans, calling it “paralyzed due to the stalemate” caused by a “certain permanent member.”
Iran’s representative also said that this inactive approach taken by the UNSC was one of the main causes of the prolonged occupation of the Palestinians. “All the atrocities and crimes committed by the Israeli regime in the past almost eight years are a consequence of such inaction,” Najafi concluded.
Likewise, Iraq’s representative to the hearing, Hayder Shiya al-Barrak, called on the ICJ to respect previous court orders against Israel, such as the provisions made after South Africa’s case to “stop the systematic killing machine against the Palestinian people.”
“Iraq hopes that the court’s commitment to justice will lead to additional decisions … affirming its dedication to ending the campaign of mass murder and preventing acts of genocide as well as policies of harassment, blockade, and starvation against the Palestinian people,” he said.
Barrak concluded his statement by asserting that the ICJ should make a decision “that safeguards the lives of the Palestinian man, women, children, and elders, allowing them to enjoy a dignified and secure life where all human rights are achieved.”
