The United Nations (UN) International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) Friday ruling on Israel’s counteroffensive is largely inconsequential, according to experts on the matter.
The ICJ ruled that there may be merit to South Africa’s accusations of genocide against Israel, but did not call for a ceasefire. The ICJ has no authority to enforce its rulings, making the determinations inconsequential and unserious, according to several foreign policy and law experts. (RELATED: UN Agency Teachers Praised Hamas Oct. 7 Attacks In Group Chat, Watchdog Finds)
“I mostly view this as a show trial where the jurors are public opinion. At the end of the day, nations are sovereign – not international bodies – and UN courts cannot enforce rulings,” Gabriel Noronha, executive director of Polaris National Security and former State Department official, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“All of this hoopla over a court that has no enforcement power,” Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and Middle East Institute scholar, said. “Another UN special.”
The ICJ ordered Israel to take urgent actions to prevent genocide in Gaza and to see an immediate increase of humanitarian aid to the region, as well as provide a report at the end of the month outlining its progress – several of which the country “is already implementing,” Brodsky said.
Clearest example of the major gap btw reality in #Israel & international perception of the war is the reaction to the ICJ today:
World -“finally they’ll force Israel to follow international law”
Israelis -“so basically the ICJ told us to continue to do what we’re already doing”— Nadav Pollak (@NadavPollak) January 26, 2024
Israel has stated that it is abiding by international humanitarian law in its counteroffensive efforts and that is taking strong measures to avoid civilian casualties. Israel has also allowed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
The IJC cited multiple UN agencies in its ruling on Friday, including the UN Relief Works Agency, to outline Israel’s alleged destruction of Gaza in their counteroffensive efforts. The UN agencies cited in the determination do not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization and, therefore, should not be taken seriously, according to Richard Goldberg, senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. (RELATED: UN Agency Fires Staffers Who Allegedly Participated In Hamas Attack On Israel)
“Not a single UN source cited by the ICJ recognizes Hamas as a terrorist organization. None have condemned Hamas war crimes.” Goldberg said. “Every one has worked to delegitimize the existence of Israel as a Jewish State.”
“The IJC appears to be taking its orders from UN, now quoting also UNRWA figures and quotes. That’s all you need to know about its credibility … or lack thereof,” international human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky said on Friday. “This is not a court of justice, this is a kangaroo court,” he said in a separate statement.
The IJC will continue to deliberate on the case between South Africa and Israel, potentially for years, according to NPR. Israel’s presence at the trial on Friday was “significant” because it showed the international community they are serious about their rebuttal of South Africa’s accusations, even despite the IJC’s immaterial ruling, Noronha told the DCNF.
“It is significant that Israel participated and fought its side in the trial, showing a far greater respect for international institutions than any of their detractors do,” Noronha told the DCNF. “Whether it is Iran, Russia, or even South Africa, they frequently flout the UN Security Council’s edicts, then demand Israel abide by the rulings of unelected bureaucrats – that’s the double standard that only applies to Israel.”
The IJC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.