A supporter of Israel holds an Israeli flag in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, on 8 October. Photo: JULIA NIKHINSON / AFP
The Fijian government does not want the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to "be used as a political playground" and "will continue to stand for what is right for the dignity of humankind".
It comes after former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama criticised the Sitiveni Rabuka-led coalition government's decision to support Israel's occupation of Palestine as "disturbing", saying it betrayed the legacy of the nation's peacekeepers.
Fiji made headlines this week after Paul Reichler, an attorney representing Palestine at the ICJ revealed that Fiji alongside the United States, were the only two countries to side with Israel on the issue.
However, a statement by the Office of Prime Minister on Wednesday said it wanted "to clarify the misinterpretation in the social and mainstream media regarding Fiji's position".
The statement noted that Fiji's main concerns on the Israel-Palestine question before the ICJ including underscoring "the importance of maintaining and upholding existing and binding legal framework including those established specifically to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."
It said that "an Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences of the alleged infringements of international law touches the core of the ongoing conflict and requires the Court to settle law in relation to the whole conflict."
Fiji is concerned that the current case sets a precedence, for other ongoing conflicts that maybe referred to the Court, thereby undermining the Courts integrity, the statement said.
It added the ICJ "must not be used as a political playground to assert long-held presumptions and biases, and in the course of doing so, misusing international law, against its intended purpose."
"In upholding its principled positions on matters that impact our core values, Fiji will continue to stand for what is right for the dignity of humankind."
