Egypt's foreign minister-designate returned to Cairo Sunday to take up his appointment and promptly hailed the World Court's finding that Israel should dismantle the barrier it is building in the West Bank.
"The ruling is a great victory and the strongest decision in favor of the Palestinian question because it was based on international legitimacy and international law," Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters at Cairo airport.
Egypt's Cabinet resigned Friday and President Hosni Mubarak named Aboul Gheit, 62, the ambassador to the United Nations, as foreign minister in the next government. He replaces Ahmed Maher, who served three years.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled Friday that Israel's security fence in the West Bank is illegal and should be torn down.
Israel says the fences, walls and razor wire are to protect it against Palestinian terrorist attacks. Security officials have noted a marked reduction in terrorist activity in areas where the fence is complete. But the structure severely disrupts the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians, cutting them off from their land, jobs and schools.
In a nonbinding judgment, the court said Israel should compensate the Palestinians who suffered economic losses because of the barrier, and it should return property confiscated for its construction.
The ambassadors to the Arab League met Sunday in Cairo to discuss the court's finding. League Secretary-General Amr Moussa told reporters the 22-nation body would contact the United Nations, the European Union and the United States in a bid to "get the ruling enforced."
Aboul Gheit also said Arab states were conferring over how to take the ruling further.