Now that we have heard the interim judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in South Africa's genocide case against Israel, we can confidently say that a new world order is being created.
The World Court today found “plausible” South Africa's charge under the Genocide Convention that “Israel has engaged in, is engaged in, and is at risk of committing acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” Ta. The court also ruled that Israel must “do everything possible” to avoid genocide in Gaza. The court stopped short of calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, which the absolute majority of countries around the world have already called for. Still, most of the “interim measures” requested by South Africa were approved by the court. It is difficult to see how Israel could implement these measures and meet its obligations under the Genocide Convention without agreeing to a ceasefire.
Of course, there is no indication that Israel intends to abide by the court's provisions. Indeed, since the ICJ heard South Africa's case two weeks ago, Israel has doubled down on its genocide in Gaza.
In the past 24 hours alone, it carried out 21 mass murders, killing 200 civilians and injuring 370 others. Therefore, Israel's message to the court, and to the world at large, is clear. Israel does not care about the opinions, demands or “measures” of any international organization, legal or political. He will do what you want.
Overall, more than 1 percent of Gaza's population has been killed and a further 2.2 percent injured in the past three months. Much of the enclave was destroyed and nearly all of its more than 2 million inhabitants were evacuated. The relentless siege, coupled with the deliberate targeting of hospitals, led to the collapse of the healthcare system. Health services are almost non-existent, and people die from starvation and diseases such as hepatitis A and leishmania. Maintaining hygiene and preventing infections is so difficult that even a small injury can lead to death. Hundreds of women miscarried and many others died during childbirth due to lack of medical care.
In this context, it is no wonder that the World Court found it “plausible” that Israel may be committing genocide in Gaza. But given its disinterest in adhering to international law and the unconditional support it receives from the West, there is little reason to expect China to change its behavior as a result of the court's damning interim ruling.
So why did South Africa take Israel to the ICJ and why does today's judgment really matter?
As South Africa asserted, “Israel's genocidal acts” must be understood “in the broader context of Israel's 75 years of apartheid.” Israel has committed numerous violations of international law since 1948, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. The apartheid regime and illegal occupation have denied Palestinians their most basic human rights for almost a century. Stating that Israel's “right to exercise the right to self-determination'' is “unique to the Jewish people,'' the ethnic group will establish Hebrew as Israel's official language and “establish Jewish settlement as a national value.'' Passed a discriminatory “nation-state law.” ” and obliges the state to “endeavor to encourage and promote its establishment and development.”
After ethnically cleansing the indigenous population from much of historic Palestine in 1948 through genocide and theft, Israel committed the crimes defined by courageous Israeli historian Ilan Pappe in his latest book, The Greatest Prison on Earth. continued to imprison residents of the Gaza Strip. The history of Gaza and the occupied territories as “ethnic cleansing by other means.” “[Palestinians in Gaza] Although they are included within their respective regions, they do not need to be included in national demographic statistics because they cannot move freely, develop or expand, and do not have basic civil or human rights. Pappe explained.
Since its founding, Israel has engaged in the exclusion of indigenous Palestinians through ethnic cleansing, apartheid, ghettoization, and racial discrimination. And now, for the first time in human history, they are committing a genocide that was livestreamed and garnered attention around the world.
A country that has experienced the worst of settler colonialism, ethnic cleansing, and racism for itself, and has succeeded in destroying the vicious apartheid regime and replacing it with a multiracial, multicultural, progressive democracy. How could South Africa remain silent in this country? What is the face of Israeli crime?
That couldn't be done.
South Africans believe that inaction against Israel's continued genocide in Gaza means that the Sharpeville and Soweto massacres, everything they endured under settler colonial rule, and years of apartheid I realized that this meant that no lessons had been learned.
They realized that now that Israeli occupation and oppression has reached the height of genocide, the international community can no longer afford to wait, make statements, or hope for the best. Every moment of inaction brings more loss, more death, and more despair for the Palestinian people.
So they took action. He took Israel to the world's highest court and accused it of committing genocide, the world's most heinous crime.
Israel may not heed the court's rulings and provisions, but South Africa's historic stance will still have an impact. As stated by South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation after the ICJ's interim decision, “Third States now recognize the existence of a grave risk of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. They therefore also They must act independently and immediately to prevent genocide and to ensure that they do not violate the Genocide Convention, including by aiding and abetting the commission of genocide. It would impose an obligation on all states to stop funding and facilitating Israeli military operations that appear to be in conflict with Israel.
The incident led South Africa to put not only Israel, but the entire world's justice system, on trial. This incident marks a major turning point for humanity. This is because this is the first time in history that a country in the Global South has bravely crossed the line drawn by the colonial West and held its favorite settler colony, Israel, accountable for its crimes. He has been committing crimes against indigenous people for a long time. Today, thanks to South Africa, the entire colonial West and its centuries-long history of theft, dispossession and injustice are on trial at the World Court.
Future generations will remember January 26, 2024 as the day the world finally decided to hold genocidal states and their powerful supporters accountable for their years of repeated violations of international law. Yes, a new world order is being created.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.