Last week, Israeli government spokespeople and hasbara efforts went into overdrive, attacking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and South Africa’s genocide case against Israel’s war on Gaza.
The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s largest English-language newspaper and the most-read English news website in the country posted a series of unsubstantiated and bizarre articles. Some of these articles consisted only of a headline and a single sentence.
These are the only articles available on this supposed delay, and they provide no sources for their claims. While they cite “a lack of evidence,” they fail to specify where that information originated or provide any relevant links for verification.
Tonight on State of Play, we are joined once again by Australian International Humanitarian Lawyer Kristen Zornada to discuss the fact that there has been no official filing or motion to delay the October 28 deadline for South Africa to present evidence of genocide to the International Court of Justice.
Furthermore, we will delve into the implications of a classified diplomatic cable obtained by Axios, which reveals that “Israel is lobbying members of Congress to press South Africa to drop its legal proceedings in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the war in Gaza.”
On Monday, September 9, the Israeli Foreign Ministry sent a classified cable to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., and all Israeli consulates in the U.S. regarding South Africa’s case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“We are asking you to immediately work with lawmakers on the federal and state level, with governors and Jewish organizations to put pressure on South Africa to change its policy towards Israel and to make clear that continuing their current actions like supporting Hamas and pushing anti-Israeli moves in international courts will come with a heavy price,” the cable read.
Israeli diplomats were instructed to urge members of the U.S. Congress to issue public statements condemning South Africa and its legal actions against Israel, as well as to threaten the suspension of U.S. trade with South Africa. However, it is highly unlikely that such a measure would be enacted. As a foreign policy priority, the United States seeks to maintain a close alliance with South Africa to counter the growing influence of Russia and China on the African continent.
This underscores Israel’s growing desperation in the face of mounting legal pressure. Despite the government’s public dismissal of international law, it remains deeply concerned about international isolation and the potential for becoming a pariah state. To a lesser extent, U.S. elected officials share these concerns. Notably, on June 5, senators applauded a House initiative to sanction the International Criminal Court after it requested arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
We support the House of Representatives’ proposal because without strong action now, it is our opinion that the ICC will eventually come after U.S. personnel.”
Join us on State of Play as we delve into the perplexing and complex legal situation surrounding Israel’s mounting international pressure. We’ll examine the classified diplomatic efforts, the legal battle in the International Court of Justice, and what it all means for Israel’s standing on the global stage. Don’t miss this important discussion.
Greg Stoker is a former US Army Ranger with a background in human intelligence collection and analysis. After serving four combat deployments in Afghanistan, he studied anthropology and International Relations at Columbia University. He is currently a military and geopolitical analyst and a social media “influencer,” though he hates the term.
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