ICJ’s Rafah edict

The World Court has once again stood with international law as it ordered Israel to halt its military assault on Gaza. Earlier, in March, the jurists had pronounced the Jewish state guilty of genocide and asked it to comply with ceasing its nefarious anti-human activities, including warfare and barbarism, in the besieged enclave of Gaza. But that fell on deaf ears, and it is very likely that this decree will also go in vain. The point is that the Zionist state is not listening, and its power intoxication and the assurance that it can get away with anything is at the root-cause of defiance. In doing so, it finds the US and allies in Europe on its side, and this literally makes a laughing stock of norms of justice and fair play.

While the ICJ met and deliberated a petition to look into massacre in occupied Palestinian territories, South Africa deserves commendation for standing tall to flag an issue of existential threat for a hapless nation. More than two millions Gazans are on the verge of extermination as Israel is obliterating the world’s largest open-air prison since October last year, in the wake of the Hamas attack. Since then it is a genocide in the making, a fact officially documented by the top jurists at The Hague. Friday’s supplementary edict has come as a shot in the arm for Palestine to, at least, hope for serenity if the word of the lords is abided by. But, that is and will remain a far cry, as there is no implementing arm of ICJ, and its rulings despite being ‘final and binding’ end up as footnotes of history.

It’s time for the world community to gather courage and rally with Pretoria, and make it a point that enough is enough. The neo-conscience in the West against Israel can set the ball rolling, and creation of an independent Palestinian state should become a reality. The endorsement for statehood by more European states and the revulsion witnessed in the corridors of alma-maters is a jiff of fresh air. The ICJ lords must take cognizance of their commandment and bring Israel on its knees.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2024.

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