On January 14 Euronews, the multi-lingual European TV and online news network, published a wide-ranging survey of where many of the world’s sovereign states stood as regards the accusation of genocide brought by South Africa against Israel.
South Africa instituted the proceedings in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 29, 2023, and on January 11 and 12 public hearings were held at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The charge alleges that Israel has committed, and is committing, genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in violation of the Genocide Convention, and asks the court to order provisional measures requiring Israel to cease all military activity in the Strip.
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. It defined genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”
South Africa’s request for provisional measures to be ordered against Israel does not require the court to determine whether Israel has actually perpetuated genocide, but simply that it is “plausible” that genocide has occurred. Of course if the court grants the provisional measure request, it would be a strong signal that it is minded to accept South Africa’s case against Israel.
The nation that has most firmly rejected South Africa’s genocide charge while proposing to do something about it is Germany.
On January 11 a spokesman for the German government announced that Germany is planning to intervene in support of Israel in the ICJ case.
“The German government firmly and explicitly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made........