The genocide case Israel faces is more about politics than the law
But there are still grave doubts over its adherence to the laws of war
SINCE ITS creation in 1946 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has heard an average of fewer than three cases a year. Many are obscure, such as a dispute over pulp mills in Uruguay. The trial that began on January 11th, though, was one of the highest drama, when it heard arguments from South Africa that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
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This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “War, war crime, or the crime of crimes?”
From the January 20th 2024 edition
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