Genocide Gets Political at the U.N.

The United Nations has done little while Russia has slaughtered innocent Ukrainians, but suddenly the body has a cause it can get behind—charging Israel with genocide for the crime of self-defense. The U.N.’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) began hearings Thursday on South Africa’s charge that the Jewish state is committing genocide in its war against Hamas.

In its first day of hearings at The Hague, South Africa claimed Israel is guilty because it has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians in its military campaign since the Hamas massacre of civilians on Oct. 7. That’s proof, South Africa says, that Israel’s military actions are “intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.”

South Africa points to statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that Israel would execute a siege on Gaza to avenge the attacks committed by “human animals.” Further support for the genocide claim should be “inferred,” South Africa says, by the existence of Israeli bombardment.