Sayyed Fadlullah: We call on the Arab, Muslim and Palestinian political and intellectual elites to coordinate politically and intellectually with the emerging Western understanding elites, on the basis that the Palestinian cause is no longer the cause of Arabs and Muslims only, but that of the oppressed in the entire world.

Asked in his weekly seminar the following question: How significant is the ruling of the International Court of Justice that condemned the separation wall in the West Bank. And how could we invest it?

The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, said:

There is a general agreement that the ruling of the Court that condemns Israel for building the separating wall and calls for dismantling represents a big moral victory for the Palestinians especially at a time they are being subject to a big Zionist and arrogant attack and to what could be described as a world war against them.

The ruling condemned the occupation and the crimes against humanity it daily commits making any resistance against it a legitimate endeavor by any legal or human criteria.

Nevertheless, the ruling is not binding and could well be shelved with the other international resolutions that provide verbal support to Palestinians. It could even provide an excuse for the Arabs to resort to do nothing and maintain that the issue is that world believers that our cause is just, while what is needed is concrete support for this cause.

Thus, as things, if this trend dominates, are likely to remain as they are, we have to move quickly from feeling happy with this achievement into making a political and media plan to invest it not only in the UN but also at the level of the world's public opinion, for  we believe that since America has tamed the world's regimes and even international organizations and forced them to support Israel's occupation of Palestine, Israel could be defeated only if we could win the nations of the world and not their rulers.

On another level, this ruling does not represent a condemnation of Israel only. It also represents an indirect or even a direct condemnation of the US that protects Israel against any international reaction to the building of the racist wall. It also tried to recognize it as a political fact that could turn into a legal one. The American President has been consistently calling the world to take the facts on the ground into account. Thus, when the International Court of Justice calls for not recognizing the changes Israel imposes in occupied Palestine, it is, in fact, condemning the US Administration too.

Such a condemnation should be reflected in the way that the EU, Russia and the UN are going to act in order to implement the ruling. Israel should be isolated for its violation of international law. America also should be hold accountable for its support to Israel, since it prevents any condemnation to Israel under the pretense that it would harm the peace process.

Then, when it feels that Israel could be condemned, it claims that the issue is political, although it has prevented any political negotiations to reach a solution, claiming that the issue is one of security.

As for the Arabs, they should quit, as regimes, to play a part that provides for Sharon the political environment needed to crack dawn the Intifada and break the Palestinians ability to remain steadfast. Most of these regimes might not accept the calls to end all direct or indirect relations with Israel, and it would be fit to ask them to return to their roots and values if they are Arabs as they claim.

We call on the Arab, Muslim and Palestinian political and intellectual elites to coordinate politically and intellectually with the emerging Western understanding elites, on the basis that the Palestinian cause is no longer the cause of Arabs and Muslims only, but that of the oppressed in the entire world.