The International Court of Justice has heard its share of high-profile cases. But few have been as closely watched, or as politically explosive, as South Africa’s suit alleging that Israel was committing genocide against the Palestinians in the war in Gaza.
A final ruling on South Africa’s claims — which Israel has furiously denied as “profoundly distorted” — is likely to take years. But in the coming days, the court’s 17 judges are expected to make their first decision in the case: whether to grant South Africa’s request for a range of emergency measures meant to rein in Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Even before the judges issue their decision, however, the fact that a western-backed democracy has been accused in court of the highest international crime has made waves around the world. For Israel and its allies, the case is baseless and an outrage. But for Palestinians and their supporters, particularly in the Global South, the case is a test of the credibility of an international system they have long regarded as stacked against them.