On 28 July 2024, Palestinian-Australian lawyer, Samad, spoke at a rally in King George Square on how the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling has vindicated the Palestine Fair Trade (Australia) stall at the West End markets in Brisbane.
The key points made by the lawyer regarding the ICJ ruling and Palestine Fair Trade (Australia) are:
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s military occupation and annexation of Palestinian territory is illegal.
- This ruling vindicates the Palestine Fair Trade stall, which had been forced to set up outside the West End markets after volunteers were attacked for displaying a map showing the disappearance of Palestinian territory over the years.
- The speaker, a Palestinian lawyer, argues that the law is inherently political and that the ICJ ruling adds legitimacy to calls for sanctions, divestment, and cutting ties with Israel.
- The speaker advocates for the Australian government to take stronger action, including calling for a ceasefire, imposing comprehensive sanctions on Israel, and formally cutting ties with the country.
“On the 28th of October last year, exactly nine months ago to this day, a group of us went to West End to support the Palestine Fair Trade stall, which, at the time had been forced to set up outside the bounds of the West End markets after it received a notice to withdraw the contract to sell at those markets because it had displayed a map of ‘disappearing Palestine…’