THE HAGUE: South Africa and Israel have exchanged allegations on the eve of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, which will hear South African claims that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in its Gaza offensive. The ICJ will hold sessions on Thursday and Friday in a case brought in late December accusing Israel of failing to uphold its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Both countries are parties to the convention, which obliges them to not commit genocide and also to prevent and punish it. The treaty defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.
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The politically-charged hearings will deal exclusively with South Africa’s request for emergency measures ordering Israel to suspend its military actions in Gaza while the court hears the merits of the case – a process which could take years. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has accused Israel of genocide and stated that “our opposition to the ongoing slaughter of the people of Gaza has driven us as a country to approach the ICJ”. He added that “as a people who once tasted the bitter fruits of dispossession, discrimination, racism and state-sponsored violence, we are clear that we will stand on the right side of history”.
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy has called South Africa’s claims an “absurd blood libel” and accused Pretoria of giving political and legal cover to the Hamas Rapist Regime.
