Genocide case against Israel has merit, says ICJ

Empowering Weak & Oppressed

Crescent International

Rajab 14, 1445 2024-01-26

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

In its interim ruling today (January 26), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that the case against Israel committing genocide has merit.

Further, the court ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear the case.

It was brought before the court by South Africa and was heard on January 11.

Not surprisingly, Israel and its western allies called for the dismissal of the case claiming it had no merit.

Let us consider what the ICJ ruling said, as summarized by Al-Jazeera:

• The court says it has jurisdiction to rule in the case.
• The court orders Israel to take measures to prevent acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, must report back in one month.
• The court says Israel must prevent and punish incitement to genocide.
• The court says Israel must allow humanitarian aid into the Strip.
• The court obliges Israel to take more measures to protect Palestinians but does not order it to end military operations in the Strip.

Without demanding an end to military operations, Israel will continue to perpetrate genocide as it has done since October 7.

Further, the court says, Israel must report back in one month to show its compliance with the ruling.

Thus, the genocidal zionists have been given another month to continue the horrors.

Does it really make sense to call for allowing humanitarian aid and prevent the deaths of innocent civilians without a ceasefire?

Israel’s western allies—the US, Canada, Britain, France, Germany et al—tip-toed through the ruling, or sought to minimize its significance.

Canada’s response was denounced by many as outrageous.

The Canadian government said it will wait for the court’s final verdict.

That will take years.

In the meantime, displaying its pro-zionist bias, Canada’s statement said that while it supports the ICJ, “it does not mean it agrees with the process.”

It went further. Ottawa reiterated the now standard line that “Israel has the right to defend itself.”

Israel is not defending itself; it is perpetrating genocide against defenceless Palestinian civilians.

Western officials, whether in the US, Canada, Britain, Germany etc, cannot be oblivious of the fact that Israel has murdered more than 26,000 Palestinians since October 7.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 15 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional.

They have run out of medicines.

Israel prevents any medicines from being delivered to Gaza.

There is no anaesthesia, for instance.

So, doctors are forced to amputate children’s limbs without anaesthesia.

The overwhelming majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are on the verge of starvation.

One wonders how these western rulers can sleep at night in the light of these facts.

This may perhaps be the wrong question.

After all, the European settler colonialists in North America also perpetrated the genocide of Native Peoples.

Their kith and kin are doing exactly the same in Palestine.

The only difference is that the rest of the world is hearing and seeing this in real time.

Nobody should have any illusion that Israel will abide by even this limited ruling.

What the ruling has achieved though is that zionist Israel can no longer play the victim card.

The zionists are acting as barbarians and western rulers are complicit in their crimes.

Even beasts do not indulge in such behaviour.

They kill to satiate their hunger but they do not indulge in mass slaughter.

Only the zionists and their western allies are capable of perpetrating such crimes against humanity.