Brazil joins South Africa's genocide case at ICJ against Israel
Brazil joins South Africa’s genocide case at ICJ against Israel
The move is largely symbolic, signifying only that whatever construction emerges from the court’s eventual judgment will be equally binding upon Brazil.
Brazil last week filed a declaration of intervention in South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, the World Court announced on Friday.
The move is largely symbolic, signifying only that whatever construction emerges from the court’s eventual judgment will be equally binding upon Brazil. Article 63 of the ICJ Statute gives a United Nations member state the option to intervene in a case where the interpretation and implementation of a treaty – in this case, the Genocide Convention of 1948 – is called into question by another member.
Both South Africa and Israel have the option to submit “written observations of the declaration of intervention,” said the Court.
Israel – alongside the US – has rejected the merits of the case, as Washington levied heavy criticism against South Africa. Separately, the US issued sanctions on members of the International Criminal Court after the court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The war in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas-led cross-border massacre attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Terrorists killed 1,200 people and took 251 people, mostly civilians, hostage. Hamas continues to hold 48 people captive, using them as bargaining chips to end the Israeli military assault on the war-ravaged enclave.
Per Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza, 65,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Brazil’s current policy regarding Israel
In July, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry announced its intentions to join the case, joining Turkey, Ireland, Spain, and Mexico in this move.
The ICJ’s final ruling may take years, but in a January 2024 interim order, the court directed Israel to prevent potential acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip and allow unhindered humanitarian aid.
it also declared Israel’s presence in what is largely internationally recognized as “occupied Palestinian territories” – the West Bank and Gaza – as illegal, and ruled that its policies effectively amount to de facto annexation.
Back in December 2023, South Africa filed an application to the World Court to institute proceedings against Israel. The Court delivered provisional measures on January 26, 2024. That March, South Africa submitted a request for additional provisional measures. Later that month, the Court obliged. This process took place again in May 2024.
