Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday denounced the alleged genocide in Gaza as “hypocrisy” as South Africa filed a lawsuit against the Jewish state at the World Court.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is the latest Israeli official to criticize the International Court of Justice hearings being held in Hauge, South Africa. There, members of the World Court hear cases against the Jewish state in Gaza for its war and civilian costs.
The Israeli leader has accused South Africa of the “brazen gall” to bring the case to court on behalf of the “monster” of Hamas.
“Terrorist organizations have committed the worst crimes against Jews since the Holocaust, and now there are those who defend them in the name of the Holocaust,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement. “What an impudent person. The world is turning upside down.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu further said, “South Africa's hypocrisy is screaming to the heavens. Where was South Africa when millions of people were being killed and forced from their homes in Syria and Yemen? Hamas' partners by.
“We will continue to refute the lies. We will continue to defend our legitimate rights to protect ourselves and secure our future until complete victory,” the Prime Minister concluded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long defended the war as a necessary security measure for Israel after it survived the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 240.
Israel has also accused Hamas of using mass rape as a weapon of war during brutal terrorist attacks, an allegation that is being investigated separately on the world stage.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid joined in the prime minister's criticism, saying the trial against Israel was putting the “integrity of the international community” at risk.
“If a country defending itself from a brutal, murderous terrorist attack is tried for genocide, then the Genocide Convention has become a reward for terrorism and anti-Semitism,” Lapid said. “Instead of bringing the murderer to justice, the world is trying the murdered.”
Lior Hyat, a spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, claimed that South Africa is effectively “functioning as the legal arm of Hamas.”
Israeli officials from across the political spectrum have come together to condemn allegations filed at the World Court that claim the Jewish state is actively committing genocide to wipe out the Palestinian population from Gaza.
The allegations come as the death toll in the Gaza Strip surpassed 23,000 on Wednesday, with nearly all of the region's 2.3 million Palestinians forced to flee their homes, the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry said. surfaced.
Several far-right Israeli representatives continue to insist that it is the Jewish state's mission to clear the Gaza Strip so its population can be resettled, a position Netanyahu rejects.
South Africa's case against Israel is supported by the 56 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as other independent states such as Bolivia and Venezuela.
Israel enjoys strong support from the United States, which has condemned the genocide allegations as “baseless.” Germany and Austria also chose to dismiss the claim as “false”.
Despite criticism from Jewish leaders, Gil Dickman, whose cousin Carmel Gatto, 39, was taken hostage by Hamas, says the World Court case could work in Israel's favor. said.
Dickman said the trial is an ideal opportunity for Israel to show the world what it has endured at the hands of Ham since the “nightmare” of the October 7 terrorist attacks.
“The whole world must understand that this is a crime against humanity committed by Hamas.” Dickman told NBC News.. “In a way, it's great that the Israeli government has chosen this way to show the world the war and the reality that we face.”
