ICJ rules that Israel must 'prevent and punish' incitement to genocide

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), based in The Hague, in the Netherlands, ordered Friday that Israel "prevent and punish" incitement to genocide in Gaza. Israel must take "all measures in its power to prevent and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide," declared the U.N.'s highest judicial body in the midst of the military offensive that began after the terrorist massacre perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7 in the Jewish state.

The ICJ ruled in favor of some of South Africa's claims accusing Israel of "genocide," protected by countries governed by the extreme left, such as Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela, as well as radical Muslim nations including Iran, Turkey, Jordan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Maldives. However, it does defeat South Africa's claims, which included the accusation of genocide and the request for an end to the attacks against the terrorists.

South Africa, a country where the government supports racist murders and where hate crimes are rampant, was the leading nation in the complaint against Israel before the ICJ. The African country accused Israel of genocide in legal action that, although it has no real criminal consequences, serves to reinforce the predominant message in the United Nations that promotes hatred against Israel by supporting Hamas terrorists.

The president of the ICJ began reading this Friday the first opinion on the urgent measures demanded by South Africa against Israel, which is accused of "genocide" in the Gaza Strip, a verdict that has been followed closely around the world.

Witch hunt against Israel

South Africa filed an emergency appeal to the ICJ in December arguing that Israel violated the Convention for the Prevention of Genocide, signed in 1948 after the Holocaust.

During the hearings, Adila Hassim, one of the lawyers for South Africa, stated that "the court has the last 13 weeks of evidence" that justifies "a credible accusation of genocidal acts." Israel responded to the accusations: "If there are acts that can be described as genocidal, these were perpetrated against Israel," Israeli lawyer Tal Becker stated in the hearings.

Israeli authorities also responded to the South African provocation: "It's the world upside down," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil," Netanyahu declared.

Netanyahu: "A scandalous case"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the case promoted by South Africa before the International Court of Justice "scandalous" after the court ruled that Israel must do everything possible to prevent possible acts of "genocide."

"The charge of genocide leveled against Israel is not only false, but outrageous, and decent people everywhere should reject it," Netanyahu said in a video.

On the other hand, the Palestinian authority said Friday that the ruling by the U.N.'s highest judicial body shows that "no state is above the law."