Ireland wants to manipulate definition of 'genocide' to demonize Israel

Ireland will ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to broaden the definition of "genocide" in order to demonize Israel.

In a statement, Irish Vice President and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defense, Micheál Martin, announced that he had received government authorization to support South Africa's position against Israel, accusing the country of committing "genocide" in the Gaza Strip. He also called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to reconsider the legal definition of "genocide" and expand its interpretation in order to hold Israel accountable.

Martin said, "By legally intervening in South Africa’s case, Ireland will be asking the ICJ to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide by a State. He added, "We are concerned that a very narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide leads to a culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimized."

Ireland is basing its arguments on data provided by terrorists

Ireland further cited an unconfirmed death toll provided by the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is run by the Hamas terrorist group, to support its arguments. "There has been a collective punishment of the Palestinian people through the intent and impact of military actions of Israel in Gaza, leaving 44,000 dead and millions of civilians displaced," Martin said.

The Irish official also claimed that "Ireland’s view of the convention is broader and prioritizes the protection of civilian life."

It should be noted that under the Convention, genocide refers to acts committed with the intent "to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, in whole or in part," which is not the case with Israel. Israel launched military action against Hamas and other terrorist groups following the October 7 massacre. Israel has taken steps to minimize civilian casualties, such as warning Palestinian civilians to avoid specific areas where anti-terrorism operations are underway, providing humanitarian assistance, allowing access to aid, and establishing security zones to protect non-combatants.

A group of experts asserts that allegations of "war crimes" against Israel are not supported by evidence

In a report submitted to the ICJ last August, a group of military experts, known as the High-Level Military Group (HLMG), which is composed of former chiefs of staff and senior military officers from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, argues that allegations of "war crimes" against Israel are not supported by the evidence.

The report concludes, among other points, that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have operated in accordance with international law. It also warns that issuing arrest warrants for war crimes against senior Israeli officials, as recently done by the International Criminal Court (ICC), could impede future legitimate military operations by other democratic nations.