What’s happening:

Tal Becker, Legal Adviser for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, strongly defends Israel’s position in the International Court of Justice against South Africa’s allegations of genocide in Gaza, emphasizing Israel’s commitment to the Genocide Convention and self-defense against terrorist organisations like Hamas.

Why it matters:

Israel’s ability to protect its population against terror attacks and invoke the right to self-defense while observing international laws is a central argument presented by Tal Becker.

The big picture:

Becker underscores the history and suffering of the Jewish people, drawing attention to the experience that makes Israel adherent to the principles of “Never Again”. He rejects accusations as not only unfounded and delegitimization efforts of Israel’s existence but also as contrary to the purpose of the Genocide Convention itself.

Details of Tal Becker’s Defense:

• Becker emphasizes that Israel ratified the Genocide Convention without reservation and accuses the application presented to the court of twisting facts.
• The use of intense military force and related civilian suffering during hostilities does not fall under the scope of the Genocide Convention according to Israel’s representative.
• Israel seeks to highlight the context of ongoing battles between Israel and terrorist groups originating from Gaza, specifically capturing the atrocities committed during an onslaught led by Hamas on October 7.

Contextualizing the conflict:

By detailing October 7’s violent events led by Hamas which claimed numerous Israeli lives, Becker attempts to reveal to the court, the challenge Israel faces. The focus is on Hamas’ alleged pursuit of genocidal intentions versus Israel’s actions defending its citizens.

Impact on the ground:

The Israeli narrative presented suggests that Israel’s operations seek to erode terrorist strengths within Gaza, striking at military targets, while also grappling with tactics used by Hamas to embed within the civilian statuses and infrastructure.

Beyond the accusations:

Israel calls for attention to their humanitarian endeavors towards innocent Palestinians caught in the conflict, offering medical attention to the wounded, all the while aiming to restore peace and prospering relations for the Palestinian people not affiliated with Hamas.

Final Remarks:

Addressing the court, Becker restates Israel’s absolute commitment to upholding legal and humanitarian standards amidst the tumultuous battle against what he positions as “a heartless enemy”. He bats back any notions of genocidal intent connected to Israel’s military presence in Gaza.

Israel’s Call to Action:

In strong terms, Israel urges the court to recognize the distortions presented within the allegations and the implications this may have on safeguarding all states’ genuine defenses against explicit terror threats like that of Hamas.

What’s next:

The court’s decision will play a role not only in Israel’s international relations and security procedures but also impacts the interpretation and enforcement of the Genocide Convention in the face of ongoing terror threats worldwide.

This story was first published on timesofisrael.com.