Israel is set to appear before the International Court of Justice this week after being accused of genocide. The South African government is bringing the case, alleging Israel has breached its obligations under the U.N. Genocide Convention in the war against Hamas. Will the move stop the war in Gaza?
NTD spoke to Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean and director of the Global Social Action Agenda for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, to explore the merits of the South African accusations, if any.
He rejected the accusations, and pointed to Israel’s right and duty to protect its citizens.
“It’s turning reality on its head,” said Rabbi Cooper. “It’s not Israel that’s causing the suffering—and there is suffering and death on the part of some Palestinian civilians. But the moral and legal responsibility for those deaths are clearly right at the feet of Hamas terrorists and Hamas terrorist leaders. They’re the ones who are responsible for the maiming and killing of innocent people—Jews and Arabs, and other nationalities—by launching the terrorist attack, by breaching international law, by launching crimes against humanity, and using even children as pawns in a deadly game.”
“In effect, South Africa and its backers have taken international law, have taken ethics and morality, and turned it on its head,” he said.