JERUSALEM: Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague to contest South Africa’s genocide case, an Israeli government spokesman said on Tuesday.

South Africa asked the ICJ on Friday for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Geneva Convention in its crackdown against Hamas.

“The state of Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice at The Hague to dispel South Africa’s absurd blood libel,” spokesman Eylon Levy told an online briefing.

“We assure South Africa’s leaders, history will judge you, and it will judge you without mercy,” Levy said.

South Africa has for decades backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories. It has likened the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority in South Africa during the apartheid era.

The ICJ, sometimes known as the World Court, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between states. Israel’s foreign ministry has said the suit was “baseless”.

Lawyers representing South Africa are preparing for the hearing scheduled for Jan 11 and 12, Clayson Monyela, a spokesperson for South African government, said.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2024