J. Pharoah Doss: Genocidal intent, uncertainty, and dereliction of duty

Judges take their seats prior to the hearing of Israel’s defense at the International Court of Justice on Jan. 12, 2024.& Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images/File Last month, Israel defended itself before the International Court of Justice against South Africa’s charges of genocide.& South Africa maintained that Israel’s military response to the October 7 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people, was directed at all Palestinians in Gaza, not only Hamas terrorists.& The level of casualties [in bombings] is so high that no place is secure, even if Israel tells residents to flee before striking. Israel argued that the term “genocide” was being weaponized against them to condemn their actions in a conflict they did not initiate or desire.& The term genocide was established to distinguish and confront a malevolent crime of the most exceptional severity.& Charging Israel with genocide would diminish the original meaning of the term and could have far-reaching consequences, as it may lead to the misinterpretation of self-defense as genocidal intent. The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take action to prevent genocide.& (As Israel has done from the beginning.) However, the ICJ did not issue a call for an immediate ceasefire.& (Which would be expected...