Opinion by Mathew Carr
Israel advocate defending South Africa’s allegations of genocide in Gaza gets confused and said someone shuffled his papers.
“Someone thought my speech was a pack of cards,” he told the International Court of Justice in the Hague, before apologizing and recovering with the help of a female colleague.
Forgive me for finding a little humor in an awful situation.
Pic: pack of cards guy
the arguments+ CarrZee take
(see two sides of story linked below)
I believe South Africa has done enough to get the ICJ to request Israel cease violence on an interim basis.
But it isn’t completely clear.
The ICJ probably can’t order Hamas to cease its brutal activities because it is not a party to the litigation, so that might prevent Israel from backing off no matter what the ICJ does.
Israel argues the ICJ does not have jurisdiction over the case, given the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas was arguably a genocide attempt … and I won’t be surprised if the ICJ declines South Africa’s request for an order to immediately stop military activity by Israel. I also won’t be surprised if the court DOES side with South Africa.
I think it’s close.
NOTE: I’m not intending to be completely comprehensive in my argumentation … and I don’t hold any qualification in international law; this opinion is from a lay person