On Friday, Israel will face genocide claims at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), after South Africa warned the highest UN court that Gaza is a concentration camp where genocide is taking place.
Israel, like South Africa, will have three hours to defend its case before a panel of 15 judges at the Hague Peace Palace to refute the genocide it is committing in Gaza.
It is believed that Israel’s arguments will center on its right to defend itself against Hamas, antisemitism, and compliance with international law.
[ ICJ Hears South Africa’s Genocide Case Against Israel, What Happened Today ]
Israel is also anticipated to bring up the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. Following oral arguments by six South African lawyers, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola emphasized that South Africa’s case is not against Jews.
“Our case is against the actions of the State of Israel. The actions of genocide that are committed in Gaza. In South Africa, we have got a number of Jewish people doing business, living with us, and attending their churches in peace,” Minister Lamola said.
On Thursday, Professor John Dugard on South Africa’s side clarified that the multi-racial country has a long history of close relations with Israel.
“For this reason, it did not bring this dispute immediately to the attention of this court.
“It watched with horror as Israel responded to the terrible atrocities committed against its people on 7 October 2023 with an attack on Gaza that resulted in the indiscriminate killing of innocent Palestinian civilians, most of whom were women and children.
“The South African government repeatedly voiced its concerns, in the Security Council and in public statements, that Israel’s actions had become genocidal,” Dugard argued.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “the hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens,” in pursuing its genocide case against Israel.
Netanyahu said that hypocrisy and lies had been presented to the International Court of Justice, stating that Israel is fighting terrorists.
“We are fighting terrorists; we are fighting lies… Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide,” he said.
South Africa has asked the ICJ to grant interim measures to stop Israel’s attacks in Gaza while it decides on the merits of the genocide accusations.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 23,400 people, about 70% of them women and children, while 59,600 have been injured.
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