The International Court of Justice said it would reveal its decision on provisional measures in the case of South Africa accusing Israel of genocide on Friday at 1pm, 7 am EST.
Judges at the ICJ listening to British barrister Malcom Shaw arguing for Israel before the World Court on Jan. 12. (UN TV Screenshot)
The World Court will tell the world on Friday whether it is ordering Israel to stop or alter its military operation in Gaza after considering the arguments in South Africa v. Israel by both sides on Nov. 11 and 12.
South Africa said in an 84-page application that Israel is committing genocide and that its intent to do so is evident, while Israel denied the accusation. The 15-judge court, with two more ad hoc judges appointed by both sides, will decide whether to open a full case against Israel, which would take years to decide.
And it will also announce whether it will agree to South Africa’s request for provisional measures to order Israel to cease or alter its military activity. To make such an order the court has only to be convinced that South Africa made a plausible argument that genocide is taking place.
The court’s decisions are legally binding on all U.N. member states, which includes Israel. Its orders can be enforced by the U.N. Security Council through economic sanctions and even military force, though the United States would undoubtedly veto any such enforcement resolution.
not sure if anyone is discussing the motive for depopulating Palestine? seems like the Israelis want to build an alternate Suez canal across Palestinian land
Is there a link to allow watching the Court give its decision?
hxxps://consortiumnews.com/2024/01/25/watch-world-court-ruling-on-israel-genocide-case/
In short, does the rule of law matter, or does it not? This issue will be settled by the multitudinous little people, or it will be the power-mongers who are taking us to hell? I sincerely hope it is a victory for the silent masses. I believe in hope and believe the masses will win.
Let’s face it: Zionism was born in the late 19th century, during the time of Spencerian ideas about eugenics and “survival of the fittest.” It’s no surprise that Herzl, the founder of Zionism, took the self-declared exception of being “the chosen people” as a convenient idea for salvaging a better life for Jews outside the racist societies of Europe, as well as worldwide. Unfortunately, the racism of his time was transmitted to the founding of Israel itself, as was absolutely expected and believed in by many of those behind its founding in Palestine. We are witnessing the last gasps from that long incubation now born and played out, the time period which saw the rise of Hitler and the installation of the machinery of the Holocaust, transformed into the genocide of the Palestinians who, like those original Jews removed to ghettos, are innocent of the original sin. It seems to me that the last wave of that particular subset of history, as Tolstoy would have it, is meeting the final shore, and the Israelis are drowning in its crash as much as those Palestinians they are seeking to wipe out. In other words, if the ICJ does not recognize as genocide the reprisals of Israel against the acts of Hamas in its own attacks against the agony perpetuated by Israel for many decades before, international law will find itself falling beneath that same, crashing wave.
Most observers have acknowledged that it will be extremely difficult for the ICJ judges to resist the immense pressure brought to bear on them by the US and its contemptible fellow imperialist states. But I think it’s also the case that deep in their souls (assuming they have souls), the judges must realize that if ever there were such a thing as “genocide,” what Israel is doing is precisely & unequivocally genocide — and that therefore they must take themselves in hand, and step up at this unique historical juncture and resist the pressure to sell out to appease the imperialists. Otherwise they will always know in their hearts (assuming, again, that they have hearts) that their cowardice has failed the Court’s noble mission at a historically defining moment. So, naive though it may be, I feel hopeful about what they’ll say on Friday.
The justices must be feeling immense pressure from their home country governments and also from the worldwide network of intelligence agencies who may be in possession of embarrassing kompromat.
THE CREATURES OUTSIDE LOOKED FROM ZlONlST TO NAZl, AND FROM NAZl TO ZlONlST, AND FROM ZlONlST TO NAZl AGAIN; BUT ALREADY IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHICH WAS WHICH.
with apologies to George Orwell
I don’t consider this court to be unbiased but I still anticipate a ruling against Israel. How could it not?
Nothing less than the credibility of the UN is at stake.
The UN is basically a tool of Western Imperialism. Any member of the UNSC 5 can simply use its veto power to overrule the global majority, as has been done many many times.
Besides, the US can veto any enforcement resolution at the UN Security Council so that Israel can simply ignore any ICJ decision and treat it with contempt, as usual. The US will unconditionally support Israel, as usual. The US can threaten to arrest or impose sanctions on anyone who tries to enforce actions against Israel (or the US). The US can illegally seize (steal) USD assets of countries, corporations, or individuals, as has been done many times. (This is another reason why the global majority will slowly de-dollarize)
On the other hand, a decision against Israel will have long-term legal consequences and will be a massive PR disaster for Israel, the US and the UK (as well as the sycophant-vassal states).
Some very smart observers, including Craig Murray and Yves Smith, are not optimistic. The main obstacles are political and technical. I hope to be pleasantly surprised by the Court’s decision.
In other words, we will soon learn whether international law still exists or is dead. If it’s the latter, people living in countries whose judges voted against South Africa need to kick up some serious dust and not stop. These corrupt governments need to go. We don’t have years to wait.