A former chief justice and Holocaust survivor will be part of the panel of judges presiding over hearings in the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced this on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the appointment of Aharon Barak (87). The news came as a surprise because Barak is seen as a critic of the legal reform that Netanyahu’s right-wing religious government tried to implement last year despite fierce protests. Barak had likened the planned restructuring of the judiciary to an “uprising with tanks” that would transform Israel into a “hollowed-out democracy.”
The Times of Israel wrote that Barak was highly respected internationally and that Netanyahu followed the recommendation of Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara with his appointment. What is special about the International Court of Justice is that the plaintiff and defendant states may each send an additional judge to The Hague.
South Africa invokes the Genocide Convention
As reported, South Africa has filed charges of genocide. The government in Pretoria cites the Genocide Convention. Both states have signed this treaty. From South Africa’s perspective, the UN judges should first put an end to violence against the Palestinians through an emergency procedure in order to protect their rights.
Israel firmly rejects South Africa’s accusations. The terrorist organization Hamas is solely responsible for the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza. It is argued that Israel is doing everything it can during the war to keep the damage to the civilian population as low as possible.
Source: Krone
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