Israel is seething with outrage after South Africa has formally asked the International Court of Justice (or “World Court”) to open a case for alleged war crimes against Israel related to its Gaza military operation. Specifically, South Africa is accusing Israel of violating the UN’s Genocide Convention.
Pretoria asked the court to issue provisional measures demanding that Israel immediately halt its military campaign in Gaza, with a statement saying this is “necessary in this case to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people.”
The submission to the World Court alleges “acts and omissions by Israel” which are “genocidal in character” as they are committed with the intent “to destroy Palestinians in Gaza” – which in essence targets a national, racial and ethnic group.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a blistering rebuke in response, rejecting the filing “with disgust” and called Pretoria’s accusations a “blood libel” – essentially saying the South African government’s charge is being fueled by antisemitism.
Israel also blasted Pretoria for sympathizing with terrorists who massacred civilians:
“South Africa’s claim has no factual and judicial basis and is a despicable and cheap exploitation of the court,” the ministry says in a statement. “South Africa is collaborating with a terror group that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.”
The ministry blames Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by attempting “to carry out genocide” on October 7, when terrorists from the Strip killed some 1,200 people and took around 240 hostages after invading southern Israel.
“We call on the International Court of Justice and the international community to reject the baseless claims of South Africa out of hand,” the response statement said further.
The irony in all this is that the 1948 Genocide Convention at issue here was drafted in the wake of the Holocaust, toward the end that targeting an entire people for destruction would ‘never again’ happen. South Africa, itself long under an apartheid government, has also at times accused Israel of setting up an apartheid system to discriminate against Arabs and Palestinians.
All of this is also part of the international pressure campaign – particularly from the Global South – which Tel Aviv and Washington have felt of late, pushing back on and denouncing the Gaza offensive which Palestinian sources say have taken over 21,000 mostly civilian lives.
Below is the South African submission to the International Court of Justice in full…
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