Yet by sending its lawyers to The Hague to contest the charges, Israel has effectively recognised the court’s jurisdiction. The people bringing the case before the ICJ are experts, too, and they are probably not just South Africans. In the Russian case, for example, it ordered Moscow to stop the war in Ukraine at least until the case was settled. Russia didn’t obey that, of course, and since it has a Security Council veto it has suffered no legal consequences. The same is true for Israel, if the American veto still protects it – but what if the court says Israel has to stop the fighting, or at least protect civilians much better?

Source: The Star January 17, 2024 06:29 UTC