South Africa has invoked the Genocide Convention against Israel over Gaza

[HeidiInTheBigCity]

The entire filing is 84 pages long and, frankly, took me several hours to read - it's well worth the effort, though, in that it is rather (painfully at times) clinical and devastating in equal measure: https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20231228-app-01-00-en.pdf

Go, South Africa!

It might not male that much of a difference in the short term - but: to see the former victims of Apartheid take the lead on the world stage, and offer support (the way they - after multiple decades of campaigning and pressure ... it's not as though world leaders hated Apartheid South Africa "by default") is just ... a little spark of light within the darkness!

Israel to defend itself against accusations of genocide at international court

Israel will defend its actions in Gaza at the international court of justice in the Hague after South Africa launched a case against the state accusing it of genocide last week, Israeli media has reported.

“Israel, a long-standing signatory to the Genocide Convention, will not boycott the proceedings. We will participate and refute the absurd accusation that amounts to blood libel,” national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi told the news site Ynet.

Haaretz newspaper reported that the rare decision was made during a meeting chaired by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and after consultations with the justice ministry, the military and the national security council.

Proceedings at the court can take years, but Israel’s immediate aim would be to prevent the court from issuing an interim order to halt its Gaza campaign.

I can't read the article because it's behind a paywall but the comments section is available to read and is very interesting.

I just saw the comments mentioned the Dahiya campaign which according to wiki is this:

The Dahiya doctrine, or Dahya doctrine,[1] is a military strategy of asymmetric warfare, outlined by former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of General Staff Gadi Eizenkot, which encompasses the destruction of the civilian infrastructure of regimes deemed to be hostile as a measure calculated to pressure combatants,[2] and endorses the employment of "disproportionate force" (compared to the amount of force used by the enemy[3][4]) to secure that end.[5]

Does anyone know more about it? Surely that goes against the rules of war?
Although it does seem to fit what the IDF is doing right now

This article has a good explanation and it definitely seems like what is being done in Gaza right now. I am shocked it hasn't spoken about more or picked up on MSM as much. The disproportionate force used on infrastructure and civilians in the Gaza war can hopefully be proved and prosecuted.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/05/israel-disproportionate-force-tactic-infrastructure-economy-civilian-casualties

@Parkingt111 looks interesting, thank you for sharing.

Siboni’s paper for the institute made it crystal clear that the Dahiya doctrine goes well beyond defeating an opponent in a brief conflict, and is about having a truly long-lasting impact. Disproportionate force means just that, extending to the destruction of the economy and state infrastructure with many civilian casualties, with the intention of achieving a sustained deterring impact
The doctrine has been used in Gaza during the four previous wars since 2008, especially the 2014 war. In those four wars, the IDF killed about 5,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, for the loss of 350 of their own soldiers and about 30 civilians. In the 2014 war, Gaza’s main power station was damaged in an IDF attack and half of Gaza’s then population of 1.8 million people were affected by water shortages, hundreds of thousands lacked power and raw sewage flooded on to streets.

I believe it originates from the tactics the IDF used against the Lebanese city of Dahiya in 2006.

Here's what the UN Human Rights Commission said about Russia's action in Ukraine.

www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/war-crimes-indiscriminate-attacks-infrastructure-systematic-and-widespread

Yup @FOJN is correct. It is a doctrine that was pioneered by the previous IDF head, after Israel launched an offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. It led to the complete destruction of the city of Dahiya.

https://inews.co.uk/news/world/dahiya-doctrine-hannibal-directive-israel-controversial-military-practices-2677233

The army chief who led that offensive retired In 2019 but was called back by Netanyahu in October

It was pioneered by this guy and by the destruction seen in Gaza is obviously being used now.
https://m.jpost.com/magazine/changing-of-the-guard-576861

It's been reported that his son was killed last month fighting in Gaza.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67654848

Yes, the Israeli government's biggest fear is Hezbollah. They lost the 2006 war with 30'000 soldiers versus 3000 Hezbollah. Hezbollah are far better equipped and trained than Hamas and could potentially invade/take large parts of Northern Israel if they attacked.

The purpose of destroying cities in Lebanon was to encourage civilians to turn against and oust Hezbollah.
https://www.militarystrategymagazine.com/article/the-second-lebanon-war-a-re-assessment/

Yes they lost but that's not the story they tell!

I know! I'm beginning to notice a pattern here of what the IDF says versus what actually happened!

The telegram group messages from the displaced Israelis (100'000 currently being kept in hotels) are very scathing about the IDF’S ability.

Israel's biggest problem now is that it's myth of invincibility is in tatters.

Their security and intelligence services are not infallible, their military is not the force to be reckoned with that everyone imagined and their propaganda is fooling no one anymore.

I think Netanyahu's time as PM might be coming to an end but I do worry he could be replaced by someone even worse.

No - I don't think Hamas's goal is to genocide Israel

You think wrong then. Hamas do and have stated such.

Where have they stated that?

Yeah it's been a failure on all fronts for the Israeli government. The images of the IDF soldiers in action and the blown up Merkeva tanks are everywhere.

Netanyahu is like a cat with nine lives, so don't count him out yet. He is currently talking up challenging Hezbollah and if he succeeds in convincing the IDF brass to do it, he could survive a few more months.

The rumour from America from a former CIA analyst is that the administration is frustrated with him, they're eyeing up Benny Gantz as his replacement.

Eylon Levy's statement:

https://twitter.com/tim_meh87/status/1742161983279972727

Ooh the Israeli Government is doubling down, the case is listed for an initial hearing on the 11th January.

Eylon has obviously not read how to win friends and influence people. He's really going in on the South African government. It would be a shame if they declassified documents related to the Vela Incident regarding Israel's alleged nuclear weapons testing in South Africa.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/09/22/blast-from-the-past-vela-satellite-israel-nuclear-double-flash-1979-ptbt-south-atlantic-south-africa/

They haven’t. The most recent example making the rounds is Hamas saying they would repeat Oct 7th as often as necessary to end the occupation.

Except those that think Hamas are bent on genocide either say “they’ve sworn to keep repeating Oct 7th” or “they say they won’t stop doing Oct 7ths until they end Israel/Israel falls”

They leave off/disregard/erase the context of “end the occupation” being the goal, not genocide.

They leave off/disregard/erase the context of “end the occupation” being the goal, not genocide.

Are you sure? This is from The Association for World Education and the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) break it down at a 2019 Human Rights Commission Special Session:

https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-182893/

If you have a more recent source that confirms that ending the occupation is the current Hamas goal I'd be interested to see it.

“End the occupation” means remove Israel and Israelis “from the river to the sea”. Hamas are so clear on this I’m actually shocked you’re being so obtuse.

there’s quite a bit of historical form for expelling Jews from countries in the Middle East/ North Africa. They were expelled from Judea too by the romans, before Islam was even a religion. A lot of them in recent history have ended up in Israel as a safe refuge, which is why pro Hamas want You to see them as “colonisers” who are “occupying” rather than as a diaspora with a historic claim to the land of their ancestors.

Hamas want to end the occupation and they’re calling for the removal of everyone they see as occupier-colonisers. The unspoken word and threat is genocide. Even those who don’t agree with the current government or the treatment of Palestinians. Hamas want the whole land, no two state solution, no compromise. And Iran, Russia, and their buddy South Africa would benefit very much from this too.

And they often link to a video translated by MEMRI. An organisation started by mostly former Israeli intelligence agents/soldiers.
https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Middle_East_Media_Research_Institute

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/aug/12/worlddispatch.brianwhitaker