OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Alternet: UN Assembly asks for court ruling on Israeli wall

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The U.N. General Assembly on Monday voted in favor of a Palestinian-initiated resolution asking the International Court of Justice whether Israel is legally obligated to tear down its separation barrier.

The vote was 90 to 8 with 74 abstentions, with the United States and Israel among those voting "no." The European Union and associated states abstained.

Arab nations asked for the emergency session after U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan reported on Nov. 28 that building the barrier into the West Bank was causing serious harm to Palestinians. He said Israel had a right to defend its citizens but that duty should not contradict international law.