Jordan
is a key Arab opponent to the wall despite its peace treaty with
Israel
.
Besides
Indonesia
, the world's biggest Muslim country, and
Malaysia,
two other countries,
Bangladesh
and
Cuba,
are scheduled to speak out against the barrier on Tuesday.
The
court in
The Hague
opened three days of hearings on Monday into the legality of the
"apartheid wall". Palestinians
call it a land-grab to deny them a viable state, while
Israel
says it needs to keep out Palestinian human bombers.
World
opinion
Israel
has stayed away from the hearings, disputing the right of the International
Court of Justice to pronounce on what it sees as a political case.
The
United States
and European Union have shunned the hearings despite criticising the route
taken by the wall. They say the court's involvement could harm
Middle East
peacemaking efforts.
|
"The
wall is indefensible as a matter of law"
Fawzi
Shobokshi,
UN Ambassador, Saudi Arabia
|
The
court's ruling will not be binding, but it could influence world opinion and the
Palestinians hope it could pave the way for international sanctions against
Israel
.
"The
wall is indefensible as a matter of law,"
Saudi Arabia
's UN Ambassador, Fawzi Shobokshi, testified on Monday.
Hardship
The
Hague
hearings stem from a Palestinian request, backed by the UN General Assembly, to
decide whether
Israel
is legally obliged to tear down the barrier.
Israel
has built about 180km of the planned 730km long bulwark.
Palestinians
say the barrier flouts international law because it absorbs chunks of occupied
land and causes hardship.
They
want the wall dismantled or shifted to follow
Israel
's boundary with the West Bank before the area was occupied along with
Gaza
in the 1967 Middle East war.
Israeli
troops fired tear gas at thousands of Palestinians in the
West Bank
who held Day of Rage protests on Monday. Both sides held rallies in
The Hague
to press their cases.
A
decision by the court could take several months.
