Global Stance on Israel’s Genocide Allegations: Who’s Taking Sides?

South Africa has reported backing from over 50 nations for its accusation at the United Nations’ highest court, claiming Israel committed genocide against Palestinians during the Gaza conflict.

Contrastingly, the United States and other countries have strongly dismissed these allegations, asserting Israel’s actions don’t constitute a breach of the U.N. Genocide Convention. Many countries have yet to voice their stance.

This case, heard at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, highlights the deep global divide over the Israel-Palestine issue, which has persisted for 75 years. Sunday marked the 100th day of the most intense conflict between them.

Support for South Africa mainly comes from Arab and African nations, with Turkey being the sole European country openly backing the claim.

Western nations, including the U.S., the U.K., and Germany, have either denounced or explicitly rejected the accusations against Israel. The U.S. labels them as baseless, the U.K. as unjustified, and Germany has outright denied them.

Major powers like China and Russia have remained largely silent on this significant case, as has the European Union.

The U.S. has labeled South Africa’s claims as ‘meritless,’ a distraction from peace efforts. U.K.’s Foreign Minister David Cameron criticized South Africa’s actions in the case.

Israel strongly denies any acts of genocide, arguing its military actions in Gaza are defensive, targeting Hamas leaders responsible for initiating the conflict with attacks on October 7. These attacks reportedly killed about 1,200, mainly civilians, and included taking hostages.

The U.S. finds the genocide allegations against Israel particularly offensive, noting that Hamas and similar groups advocate for Israel’s destruction and the mass murder of Jews.

Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., the U.K., the EU, and others.

Israel’s military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 23,000 Palestinian deaths, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry, including a high number of women and children. Northern Gaza has been heavily damaged by Israeli strikes.

Despite condemning Hamas’ initial attack on October 7, South Africa argues that it doesn’t justify Israel’s extensive military response.

Germany’s support for Israel, announced as the court hearings concluded, carries symbolic weight due to its historical context of the Holocaust. The German government spokesperson cited the Holocaust as a reason for their strong commitment to the Genocide Convention and rejected the accusations against Israel.

The EU has remained neutral, stating that nations have the right to bring cases to the U.N. court. Turkey has provided evidence supporting South Africa’s case.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, comprising 57 countries, was among the first to endorse South Africa’s case, accusing Israel of genocide and indiscriminate targeting in Gaza.

Support also comes from countries like Namibia, Pakistan, and Malaysia, which have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian situation.

China, Russia, and India have largely avoided commenting on the case, considering the potential diplomatic repercussions.

Some South American countries, including Brazil, have shown support, focusing on the need for a Gaza ceasefire rather than directly accusing Israel of genocide.

South Africa’s case seeks two outcomes: a declaration of Israeli genocide and a court order to halt military operations in Gaza. While an interim decision is expected soon, a final verdict could take years. Brazil hopes the case leads to an immediate cessation of potential genocidal acts by Israel.

Other countries like Ireland have expressed uncertainty about the genocide claim but support a ceasefire.

The effectiveness of any court order to cease military action remains uncertain, as seen in Russia’s case with Ukraine.