South Africa says more than 50 countries have expressed support for accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in
Others, including , have strongly rejected South Africa鈥檚 allegation that Israel is violating the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Many more have remained silent.
The world鈥檚 reaction to the landmark case that was heard Thursday and Friday at the International Court of Justice in The Hague shows a predictable global split when it comes to the inextricable, 75-year-old problem of Israel and the Palestinians. Sunday marks 100 days of
The majority of countries backing South Africa鈥檚 case are from the Arab world and Africa. In Europe, only the Muslim nation of Turkey has publicly stated its support.
No Western country has declared support for South Africa鈥檚 allegations against Israel. The U.S., a close Israel ally, has rejected them as unfounded, the U.K. has called them unjustified, and Germany said it 鈥渆xplicitly rejects鈥� them.
China and Russia have said little about one of the most momentous cases to come before an international court. The European Union also hasn鈥檛 commented.
US: 鈥楳ERITLESS鈥� ALLEGATIONS
U.S. Secretary of State said on a visit to Israel a day before the court proceedings began that South Africa鈥檚 allegations are 鈥渕eritless鈥� and that the case 鈥渄istracts the world鈥� from efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said genocide is 鈥渘ot a word that ought to be thrown around lightly, and we certainly don鈥檛 believe that it applies here.鈥�
鈥淲e don鈥檛 agree with what the South Africans are doing,鈥� U.K. Foreign Minister David Cameron said of the case.
Israel fiercely rejects the allegations of genocide and says it is . It says the offensive is aimed at eradicating the leaders of Hamas, the militant group that runs the territory and provoked the conflict by on southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and
Blinken said a genocide case against Israel was 鈥減articularly galling鈥� given that Hamas and other groups 鈥渃ontinue to openly call for and the mass murder of Jews.鈥�
The U.S., the U.K., the EU and others classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
in Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry. The count doesn鈥檛 distinguish between combatants and civilians. It says more than two-thirds of the dead are women and children. Much of northern Gaza has become with entire neighborhoods erased by Israeli air strikes and tank fire.
South Africa has also condemned Hamas鈥� Oct. 7 attack but argues that it did not justify Israel鈥檚 response.
GERMAN SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
Germany鈥檚 announcement of support for Israel on Friday, the day the hearings closed, has symbolic significance given its history of , when the Nazis killed 6 million Jews in Europe. Israel was created after World War II as a haven for Jews in the shadow of those atrocities.
鈥淚srael has been defending itself,鈥� German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said. His statement also invoked the Holocaust, which in large part spurred the creation of the U.N. Genocide Convention in 1948.
鈥淚n view of Germany鈥檚 history 鈥� the Federal Government sees itself as particularly committed to the Convention against Genocide,鈥� he said. He called the allegations against Israel 鈥渃ompletely unfounded.鈥�
Germany said it intends to intervene in the case on Israel鈥檚 behalf.
The EU has only said that countries have a right to bring cases to the U.N. court. Most of its member states have refrained from taking a position.
Turkey, which is in the process of joining the EU, was a lone voice in the region. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country provided documents that were being used against Israel in the case.
鈥淲ith these documents, Israel will be condemned,鈥� he said.
ARAB CONDEMNATION
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation was one of the first blocs to publicly back the case late last month. It said there was 鈥渕ass genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli defense forces鈥� and accused Israel of 鈥渋ndiscriminate targeting鈥� of
The OIC is a bloc of 57 countries that includes Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. Its headquarters are in Saudi Arabia. The Cairo-based Arab League, whose 22 member countries are almost all part of the OIC, also backed South Africa鈥檚 case.
South Africa drew some support from outside the Arab world. Namibia and Pakistan agreed with the case at a U.N. General Assembly session this week. Malaysia also expressed support.
鈥淣o peace-loving human being can ignore the carnage waged against Palestinians in Gaza,鈥� Namibian President Hage Geingob was quoted as saying in the southern African nation鈥檚 The Namibian newspaper.
Malaysia鈥檚 Foreign Ministry demanded 鈥渓egal accountability for Israel鈥檚 atrocities in Gaza.鈥�
CHINA AND RUSSIA: SILENCE
China, 鈥� which is also facing allegations of genocide in the world court 鈥� and the emerging power of have largely remained silent, seemingly aware that taking a stand in such an inflammatory case has little upside and could irreversibly upset their relationships in the region.
India鈥檚 foreign policy has historically supported the Palestinian cause, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to express and call the Hamas attack terrorism.
SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE
A handful of South American countries have spoken up, including the continent鈥檚 biggest economy, Brazil, whose Foreign Ministry said President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva backed South Africa鈥檚 case. However, the ministry鈥檚 comments did not directly accuse Israel of genocide but focused on the need for a cease-fire in Gaza.
South Africa鈥檚 case against Israel is two-fold: It wants the court to say Israel is committing genocide and to issue an interim ruling ordering an end to its military campaign in Gaza. The court said it would decide on an interim ruling soon but, reflecting the gravity of the case, it could take years for a final verdict on the genocide charge.
Brazil said it hoped the case would get Israel to 鈥渋mmediately cease all acts and measures that could constitute genocide.鈥�
Other countries have stopped short of agreeing with South Africa. Ireland premier Leo Varadkar said the genocide case was 鈥渇ar from clear cut鈥� but that he hoped the court would order a cease-fire in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said no one 鈥� including the world court 鈥� against Hamas. Russia didn鈥檛 obey the court when it told it to halt its invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.
Gerald Imray, The Associated Press
