South Africa has taken its case against Israel under Article 9 of the Genocide Convention. Israel has rejected SA’s case, claiming it’s concerned solely with self-defence.
One has to salute SA for bringing the case. For decades it was a country that suffered appallingly at the hands of white S Africa while it was an apartheid state. The vast majority of countries in the UN think that South Africa is right and Israel is wrong.
But let’s look at the past. In the past 10 years, Israel has violated at least 28 resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. These are legally binding resolutions and most concern the treatment of Palestinians. Israel seems to have lost little sleep over these resolutions
It’s highly likely that it will take the same line with regard to Israel’s patently genocidal actions. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) can pass a judgement BUT – and this is the bit that counts – it can’t enforce its ruling. It’s like a cop stopping you for speeding and giving you a lecture, but issuing no ticket. With the backing of the US and the UK, the ICJ can pass as many judgements condemning Israel as it likes. It’s human nature. If speeding fines involved only a ticking off, would you speed more or less often? Israel has been riding roughshod and at speed over the Palestinians for decades. It’s just that now its ‘mowing the lawn’ – a vile phrase – is counted in thousands of dead Palestinians, not tens. It may bring home to Israel that it has a very very poor reputation in the world, but hey – sticks and stones, sticks and stones.
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