Israel Presents Defense in South Africa’s Genocide Lawsuit

The second day of the genocide lawsuit initiated by the Republic of South Africa against Israel for the Gaza massacres saw Israel presenting its verbal defense at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Tal Becker, the Legal Adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered the opening speech, arguing that the accusations against Israel do not accurately represent the reality in Gaza. Becker claimed that Israel’s actions in Gaza were lawful, framing the Genocide Convention as a commitment to prevent a recurrence of the Holocaust. He characterized the lawsuit as a betrayal of the convention’s essence, asserting that Israel was legitimately defending itself and urged the dismissal of the application.