MEND STATEMENT: HISTORIC ICJ RULING AGAINST ISRAELI GENOCIDE IS A STEP TOWARD JUSTICE FOR GAZA

MEND applauds the ICJ’s historic decision to issue emergency measures against Israel over its genocidal conduct in Gaza.

On January 11, South Africa presented a highly compelling case to the ICJ which showed beyond any reasonable doubt that Israel’s actions in Gaza are in breach of the Genocide Convention of 1948. Specifically, South Africa demonstrated two things: firstly that senior Israeli political leaders have, on scores of occasions, propagated genocidal intent toward Gazans; and secondly, that the Israeli military has translated this political rhetoric into genocidal conduct on the ground.

Israel’s January 12 response was feeble and based on an obfuscation of the facts, which included claims that it was trying to protect Gazans, despite an abundance of publicly available evidence to the contrary.

While the ICJ’s decision marks a step toward justice for the long suffering people of Gaza, the court’s decisions are not legally enforceable, meaning that Israel can ignore the provisional measures ordered by the court which recognises Israel’s genocidal conduct. The international community cannot allow Israel to cause further damage to international law by doing so. Furthermore, given the ICJ’s acknowledgement of the deteriorating humanitarian crisis, the judgement should have gone further and called for an immediate ceasefire.

Therefore, MEND calls upon UN Security Council members, most of all the UK, to pressure Israel into compliance with the ICJ’s ruling and to press for an immediate ceasefire.