The British newspaper "The Guardian" published an article by columnist Nisreen Malik in which she talks about the broad implications of the "genocide" case that South Africa brought to the International Court of Justice against Israel, saying that it is not limited to accusing Israel only, but extends to testing the West's claim of moral and unjust superiority. 

Nisreen said that this issue gives legitimacy to supporters of Palestine whose position was described as marginal, and it also tests the limits of human rights.

The writer added that although the filed case dealt in detail with the Israeli attack on Gaza, its essence was about something broader, which is bridging the gap between the Palestinian reality and how the dominant political forces describe it.

In this regard, she pointed out that political leaders in the West ignored the widespread popular anger in Europe and the world and rejected it strongly and firmly, and the rejection of a ceasefire by the United States within the United Nations.

Showing the inability of the shocking international response

Nisreen Malik said in her article in The Guardian that the letter submitted to the International Court of Justice challenged the West’s portrayal of its support for the Palestinian cause in terms of appearance and content.

The writer emphasized that the final ruling that will be issued by the court is not more important than the importance of the case. It is possible for the court to agree or disagree on whether the claim is convincing in proving “genocide” legally. Rather, what is important is to recognize the seriousness of the events that may amount to “genocide,” and the impotence of the international response that has failed shockingly.

She said that the major challenge, among many challenges, is the challenge facing an international system that has made it difficult to verify the validity of Palestinian claims, and that this case before the International Court shows how Western logic is running out, and that its persuasive power is diminishing in a multipolar world.

Symbolism of South Africa

Nisreen Malik continued to say that filing the case by South Africa is very important, because it is the country that symbolizes the scourges of colonialism, settlement, and apartheid, and that this symbolism will not be lost on anyone. It is not surprising that the support expressed for South Africa comes entirely from the countries of the Global South.

The writer pointed out Namibia's refusal to support Germany for Israel in the International Court of Justice, because Germany committed "genocide" in Namibia, the first in the 20th century, and for which Germany has not yet completely atoned.

It also pointed to the widespread rejection of Western norms by not condemning African countries for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the outbreak of anti-European rhetoric following the coups in former French colonies on the continent.

Just empty nonsense

The Guardian writer said that what is happening in the countries of the South is an actual trend that questions, from within the same institutions created by the West, whether these human rights institutions are real, or merely a theater that serves an international class system.

She added that this issue will be strongly rejected by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and others, but there is a cost to rejecting the concepts and processes that support the legitimacy of these countries’ claim to moral authority, and it will completely undermine their credibility, and will make the language in which America and Britain appeal to the Houthis and the world to adhere to standards mere empty talk. 

She said that Western countries, by rejecting what South Africa is demanding before the International Court of Justice, are raising geopolitical winds that make agreeing to Western political agendas increasingly difficult, adding that the South African case showed that those who obstruct attempts to end the severe ordeal in Gaza are the ones who will occupy the marginal position.

Source: Guardian + Aljazeera