Nations express ‘deep concern’ at Israeli punitive measure

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — More than 90 countries have expressed “deep concern” at Israel’s punitive measures against the Palestinian people, leadership and civil society following the U.N. General Assembly’s request for an advisory opinion by the U.N.’s highest court on the legality of Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The signatories called in a statement released on Monday by the Palestinians for a reversal of the Israeli measures. They said regardless of their position on the assembly’s resolution, “we reject punitive measures in response to a request for an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice.”