Israel has rejected allegations by South Africa that it has committed state-led genocide in Gaza, telling the UN International Court of Justice that the claims are false and “grossly distorted.”
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations. Some forty countries, in addition to the U.S. and Israel, do not recognize the International Court of Justice. While its rulings are legally binding, it has no real enforcement mechanism, and many governments simply ignore the court’s decisions.
Washington Examiner South Africa alleged that Israel not only killed Palestinian civilians but that it purposely inflicted physical and mental harm, and created barbaric conditions for the residents of Gaza “to bring about their physical destruction.”
Israel rebutted on Friday, accusing South Africa of perverting the word “genocide” and being the mouthpiece of the terrorist group Hamas.
It also said it was outrageous for South Africa to attempt to liken the Jewish state’s military response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack to Nazi Germany’s systematic extermination of Jews during the Holocaust. More than 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust.
Tal Becker, chief lawyer of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, told a packed courtroom that South Africa had failed to acknowledge Hamas started the war, didn’t accurately portray conditions in Gaza, and that Israel had a right to defend itself. He added that the Middle Eastern country is in the middle of fighting a “war it did not start and did not want.”
South Africa, he said, “has regrettably put before the court a profoundly distorted factual and legal picture, [and] the entirety of its case hinges on a deliberately curated, decontextualized, and manipulative description of the reality of current hostilities.” He further accused South Africa of making “an attempt to weaponize the term genocide against Israel.”
Earlier in the week, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called claims of genocide “atrocious and preposterous.” “Actually, our enemies, the Hamas, in their charter, call for the destruction and annihilation of the state of Israel, the only nation-state of the Jewish people,” he said.
Separately, Germany announced Friday that it would intervene as a third party before the ICJ under an article that allows states to seek clarification on the use of a multilateral convention. The German government said it strongly disagreed with South Africa’s assessment of the situation and warned against “political instrumentalization.”
“In view of German history and the crimes against humanity of the Holocaust, the government is particularly committed to the Convention against genocide,” Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesman for the German government, said in a statement. “This convention is a central instrument of international law to implement the principle of ‘never again.’ We resolutely oppose its political instrumentalization.”Hebestreit added that Germany “firmly and expressly rejects the accusation of genocide now made before the International Court of Justice against Israel. This accusation lacks any basis [and] … [the government] intends to intervene as a third party.”
The move allows Germany to present its own case to the court that Israel has not infringed the genocide convention or has committed or intended to commit genocide. Because Germany is not claiming to be legally affected by South Africa’s case against Israel, it doesn’t need to go through the ICJ’s protocols or secure permission from the court to intervene.
Siddi Nasrani says
What a joke that S Africa charges Israel with Genocide.
South African politician Julius Malema chanted the controversial “Kill the Boer, kill the Farmer” during the Economic Freedom Fighters’ 10th-anniversary rally in Soweto’s FNB Stadium. On July 29, the 42-year-old personality delivered his speech at the stadium and concluded it dramatically with him standing tall and finishing his chant.
The controversial chant, which was declared “not a hate speech” by The Equality Court in Johannesburg, was popularized by his political idol, former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Peter Mokaba, with the phrase “kill the boer, the farmer” and has long enraged the Afrikaner population.
jarmanray says
This is only going to prove that the ANC is unfit to rule a nation. Rather than pulling this stunt, maybe South Africa should be more concerned with providing electrical power to its citizens than bringing false charges against an honest governed nation. I lived in Pretoria for three years and Masero for another three years while working at the State Department in the early 2000’s until my retirement and I can attest to the lack of any moral or ethicist within the ANC.
Johannesburg went from one of the safest places on earth to live to the fourth most dangerous city in the world over night. For the ANC to accuse the Israeli government of any moral depravity is beyond the pale and should not even be allowed on the world stage.
Despite all of immorality of the ANC, it is unwittingly going to prove the validity of Israel’s effort to secure its existence and the depravity of Hamas.
Pray Hard says
I’ve tried to watch the complete statement of that female attorney. I watch it until I’m nauseous and enraged then turn it off and try again later. The “poor little moslems” agenda is so depraved.
VMS says
So why did Israel even appear in this clown-court? And how does South Africa, that doesn’t even have a horse in this race get standing to bring such a case?
Steven Grigsby says
Screw the ICJ. But for the sake of argument where is the Jury or is it just these “judges” that decide innocence or guilt? Smacks of the Spanish Inquisition and Stalin’s show trials.
BareNakedIslam says
Just the judges.
xxy says
https://x.com/Vinod_r108/status/1746466481364496667?s=20
BareNakedIslam says
Funny!