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The South African delegation speaks to the press after the second day of the listening to of South Africa’s genocide case in opposition to Israel on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on January 12, 2024.FARM AND LIFE/Getty Pictures
The prime minister mentioned Friday that Canada doesn’t assist the premise of South Africa’s case on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice in The Hague that Israel’s navy motion in Gaza is genocide.
Talking to reporters in Guelph, Ontario, Justin Trudeau mentioned Canada has lengthy been a “massive supporter of the worldwide rules-based order” and the Worldwide Court docket of Justice.
“However our full assist of the Worldwide Court docket of Justice and its procedures doesn’t imply that we assist the premise of the case put ahead by South Africa,” he mentioned, including that Canada will proceed to comply with the case carefully.
The South African authorized staff argued on Thursday that the court docket should urgently concern an injunction in opposition to Israel to avert the chance of additional “irreparable hurt” to Palestinians in Gaza. She had filed an 84-page authorized temporary arguing that Israel’s navy motion and bombing of Gaza violated the Genocide Conference, which requires member international locations to take measures to stop genocide.
It argued that there was a believable declare that Israel had dedicated “genocidal acts” in Gaza.
However Israel rejected the declare on Friday. She mentioned she was responding to an assault in October by Hamas, a terrorist group whose intent is genocide.
The Liberal authorities has come below strain from its personal MPs, who’ve differing views on the South African case.
Some Liberal MPs, together with former public safety minister Marco Mendicino, have urged the federal government to reject South Africa’s declare that Israel’s navy motion in Gaza is “genocidal in nature”, saying the declare is “baseless and incomprehensible”.
However different Liberal MPs, together with Salma Zahid, have additionally referred to as on Canada to publicly assist South Africa’s proposal.
On Friday, Conservative chief Pierre Poilievre accused the prime minister of “unimaginable, sinister and hypocritical duplicity” on the difficulty and accused him of sending opposing messages to completely different teams of voters with a purpose to accommodate their views.
“He sends a few of his MPs to assert that they assist calling Israel a genocide after they communicate to a gaggle of voters. After which he sends one other group to say they’re in opposition to calling Israel a genocide,” he mentioned at a information convention.
Mr Poilievre mentioned he would “take a transparent place primarily based on ethical readability”.
“I discover it unimaginable that these international locations haven’t accused Hamas of genocide, though Hamas’ constitution says they wish to commit genocide in opposition to Israel,” he mentioned. “They admit that their October 7 assaults have been motivated by genocidal targets.”
He mentioned the criticism to the Worldwide Prison Court docket was “hypocritical” as a result of it was directed solely in opposition to Israel.
Israel rejected allegations made by South Africa on the UN’s prime court docket on January 12 that its navy operation in Gaza was a state-led marketing campaign of genocide.
Reuters
Late final yr, the Liberal caucus was divided over whether or not Canada ought to assist a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Greater than 20 Liberal MPs signed a letter to Mr. Trudeau urging him to push for a ceasefire, which he did in December.
International locations have mentioned they assist or oppose South Africa’s utility to the court docket.
America and Israel have rejected the lawsuit, filed final month on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice, saying it lacks benefit.
It may take years to resolve your complete case, however authorized consultants imagine the court docket may rule on the request for an pressing interim order, referred to as “interim measures,” inside the subsequent two weeks.
Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, mentioned in an interview this week that Israel expects all pleasant international locations on this planet to touch upon this ridiculous accusation made by South Africa in opposition to Israel, which is totally baseless, neither the truth is nor in regulation.
South Africa’s request was supported by round a dozen international locations within the International South, together with Brazil, in addition to the 57-nation Group of Islamic Cooperation. It’s also supported by a whole lot of unions, human rights teams and different civil society teams worldwide, together with about 150 in Canada that signed a joint assertion this week.
“The criticism and pressing request for interim measures are an vital authorized try and curb the continuing destruction of the Gaza Strip and, above all, the Palestinian individuals whose homeland is Gaza,” the assertion mentioned.
Liberal MP Shafqat Ali mentioned “South Africa has raised some severe points” that require “choice by a correctly constituted authorized discussion board”.
“I count on Canadians to respect the court docket’s choices. For my part, our authorities ought to assist the court docket and its processes and the choice it makes,” he mentioned.
Liberal Chandra Arya additionally argued that Canada ought to assist the South African movement. He mentioned Canada lately argued earlier than the Worldwide Court docket of Justice in a case about Myanmar that proof of genocide consists of “a violent navy operation that triggered the pressured displacement of members of a goal group” and “the systematic subjection of a gaggle of individuals to a subsistence weight loss program.” “could embrace eviction from properties and the introduction of important medical companies which are under the minimal necessities.”
“I don’t see how Canada can flip round and argue in opposition to the subjugation of South Africa. Canada’s status and proper to say ethical standing on justice and humanitarian points are at stake right here,” he mentioned.
Rosalie Silberman Abella, a former Supreme Court docket justice of Canada, wrote in an opinion article in The Globe and Mail this week that the case was introduced by South Africa “represents an outrageous and cynical abuse of the ideas underlying the worldwide authorized order established after World Warfare II.”
Ms. Abella argued that Hamas, not Israel, was responsible of tried genocide.
South Africa has filed a genocide lawsuit in opposition to Israel on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice in The Hague, asking the court docket to order the nation to cease its assault on Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the allegations as “hypocrisy and lies.”
Reuters