ARAB AND WORLD

Fri 26 Jan 2024 4:05 pm - Jerusalem Time

Israeli reactions to the decision of the International Court of Justice

Israel feared that the International Court of Justice in The Hague would issue a decision confirming that it was committing genocide and therefore it had to stop the war on Gaza. After the court's decision was issued on Friday, Israeli political officials said, "This is a relatively very good decision. Perhaps it is the best we can get, because South Africa failed in trying to stop the war."


Regarding the content of the court’s initial decision, Israeli officials claimed that “all the demands are matters to which Israel is already committed. There is no stopping the fighting here and something practically prevents us from doing something of what we are doing. The fighting will continue as usual.”


Israeli officials described the International Court of Justice’s decision today, Friday, as “a major judicial achievement in addition to great damage to Israel’s image,” according to what Israeli media reported about them.


An Israeli political official claimed, "The court rejected South Africa's central request to stop the fighting in Gaza, and from this perspective, this is a great success for Israel."


Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted unnamed political sources on its website as saying, “This is a relatively very good decision. Perhaps it is the best we can get, because South Africa failed in trying to stop the war.”


The sources added, "All demands are matters that Israel adheres to in any case. There is no ceasefire here, and there is nothing practical that prevents us from doing anything we are doing, and the fighting will continue as usual."


Israeli Channel 12 reported that there is great relief in Israel despite the harsh criticism of the International Court of Justice, and the relief is due to the fact that the court did not order to stop the fighting or stop the transfer of residents (forced transfer), and despite the damage to Israel’s image, but what happened is a very important legal achievement. at this time.


Netanyahu: “We will continue the war, and the claim that Israel is committing genocide is outrageous.”


Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said after the international “justice” decision, “The claim that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians is not only false, but it is outrageous, and the court’s willingness to discuss it at all is a stain that will not be erased over the generations.”


Netanyahu added: “We will continue the war until we defeat Hamas, return all the kidnapped ones, and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”


The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his ministers not to conduct interviews regarding negotiations related to a possible hostage deal, and regarding the decisions of the International Court of Justice.


Ben Gvir: The International Court of Justice “does not seek justice”

The Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, considered that “the decision of the anti-Semitic court in The Hague proved what was previously known. This court does not seek justice, but rather to persecute the Jewish people. They remained silent during the Holocaust and today they continue their hypocrisy and have risen to another stage. It is forbidden to comply with decisions that "It poses a threat to the continued existence of the State of Israel, and we must continue to strike the enemy until decisive victory."


For his part, Knesset member Danny Danon said: “The court’s decision in The Hague today is shameful and completely disconnected from any reality on the ground. It will not prevent us from achieving our goals, which are the elimination of Hamas and the return of all detainees. We will not forget the horror, shock, and deaths of October 7. We will fight until we achieve all our goals.” .


At the beginning of the decision, the court affirmed its jurisdiction to consider South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel for genocide, and rejected Israel’s request to withdraw South Africa’s lawsuit against it.

The court called on Israel to submit a report on the temporary measures that must be taken within a month from today.


The court confirmed that "15 judges on the court voted for Israel to take measures to prevent any acts related to genocide."


The justices also voted 15 to two, in favor of requiring Israel to prevent the destruction of evidence related to genocide.


Sixteen justices voted to one in favor of requiring Israel to take measures to prevent incitement to genocide.

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Israeli reactions to the decision of the International Court of Justice