Islamic Law

Islamic Law

Litigation against Israel for Genocide in the International Court of Justice: Possible Scenarios

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Abdollah Abedini 1
Bahman Bahri Khiyavi 2
1 Faculty Member of the Institution for Research and Development in the Humanities (SAMT)
2 Ph. D of International Law
Abstract
According to international law, Israel is one of the examples of violations of international rules and principles from the earliest years of its existence to the present day. Aggression, occupation, discrimination, war crimes, crimes against humanity and numerous other violations in the field of international human rights are examples of this. In the meantime, committing genocide in the occupied territories has not attracted much attention due to the slow, long, continuous process and sometimes the use of non-lethal tools. From the very beginning, Israel's approach has been to homogenize the population living in the occupied territories, and for this reason, it seeks ethnic cleansing by using lethal and non-lethal means; the ethnic cleansing must be carried out in any way possible, including, if necessary, with the intention of destroying the Palestinian group in part or in whole. In this article, while examining this method of ethnic cleansing in the form of genocide, we will discuss the facts that can be cited in this regard in order to raise the idea of constituting proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice and various related scenarios.
Keywords
"Genocide"
"International Court of Justice "
"Israel "
"Ethnic Cleansing "
"Wall Advisory Opinion"
  1. Klamberg, Mark (2017), Commentary on the Law of the International Criminal Court, Torkel Opsahl Academic EPublisher (TOAEP).
  2. Agarwal, Pranav and Sharma, Yagnesh (2020), Will Myanmar Comply with Provisional Measures in Gambia v. Myanmar?, JURIST, 19 may 2020. Available at: https://www. jurist.org/commentary/2020/05/agarwal-sharma-icj-measures-rohingyas/#
  3. Al-Khalidi, Suleiman (2008), Gaza on brink of humanitarian disaster: UN, Reuters, 21 Nov 2008. Available at: https://www. reuters.com/article/us-palestinians-un-aid-idUSTRE4AK3UJ20081121
  4. Bell, Claudia Laurel (2020) A Postcolonial Analysis of the Genocide Convention With Reference to the Lived Experiences of the Palestinian People Under Settler Colonial Rule, L. L. M Thesis in Human Rights Studies, Columbia University.
  5. Bocock, Ryan, The Gambia, Myanmar and the International Court of Justice– A Path to Justice?, 2019, at: https://grojil.org/2019/12/09/the-gambia-myanmar-and-the-international-court-of-justice-a-path-to-justice/
  6. Boyle, Francis (2013), The Palestinian Genocide by Israel (August 21, 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2339254 or http://dx. doi.org/10. 2139/ssrn. 2339254
  7. Cassese, Antonio (2009) "Is Genocidal Policy a Requirement for the Crime of Genocide?", in, Paola Gaeta (ed.). The UN Genocide Convention: A Commentary, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  8. Dugard, John and John Reynolds (2013) "Apartheid, International Law, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory", European Journal on International Law, 24.
  9. Dutton, Jack (2021), Israel Says Claims of White Phosphorous Use by its Forces 'False', Newsweek, 13 May 2021, at: https://www. newsweek.com/israel-white-phosphorus-gaza-claims-false-idf-1591107
  10. Krauss, Joseph (2021), Palestinians fear loss of family homes as evictions loom, ABC news, 10 May 2021, at: https://abcnews. go.com/International/wireStory/palestinians-fear-loss-family-homes-evictions-loom-77595319
  11. Lendman, Steve (2008), "Israel’s Slow-Motion Genocide in Occupied Palestine", in, William Cook (ed.) , The plight of the Palestinians: A Long History of Destruction, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 29-38.
  12. Macintyre, Donald (2008), Chronic Malnutrition in Gaza Blamed on Israel, Independent, 15 Nov 2008, at: https://www. independent. co. uk/news/world/middle-east/chronic-malnutrition-in-gaza-blamed-on-israel-1019521. html
  13. Polya, Gideon (2008), "Ongoing Palestinian Genocide", in, William Cook (ed.), The plight of the Palestinians: A Long History of Destruction, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 39-42.
  14. Schabas, William (2007), "Genocide", Oxford Public international law, Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Law, Online Version.
  15. Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. Case (United Kingdom v.iran), ICJ Reports 1952.
  16. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro) , ICJ Reports 2007.
  17. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Croatia v. Serbia) , ICJ Reports 2015.
  18. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Gambia vs. Myanmar) , ICJ Reports 2020.
  19. Declaration of Intervention by New Zealand of the Government of New Zealand, Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan) , ICJ Reports 2013.
  20. Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion, ICJ Reports 2004.
  21. Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. Belgium) , ICJ Reports 2004.
  22. Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v.united Kingdom) , ICJ Reports 2016.
  23. Pre-Trial Chamber I, Situation in the State of Palestine, 5 Fen 2021, No.icC-01/18.
  24. Prosector v. Krstic, 2004. No. IT-98-33-A.
  25. Prosecution Request Pursuant to Article 19 (3) for a Ruling on the Court’s Territorial Jurisdiction in Palestine, ICC-01/18-12, 2020.
  26. Prosecutor v. Akayesu, Chamber I, 1998, No.icTR-96-4-T.
  27. Prosecutor v. Jelisić, 2001, No. IT-95-10-A.
  28. Prosecutor v. Kayishema and Ruzindana, 1999, No.icTR-95-1-T.
  29. Prosecutor v. Tolimir, 2015, No. IT-05-88/2-A.
  30. Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 20 November 1950 in the Asylum Case (Colombia v. Peru) , ICJ Reports 1950.
  31. Reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, ICJ Reports 1951.
  32. A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution, 2021, at: https://www. hrw.org/report/2021/04/27/threshold-crossed/israeli-authorities-and-crimes-apartheid-and-persecution
  33. A/71/364, Report of the Secretary-General, 30 August 2016, at: https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N16/273/59/PDF/N1627359. pdf?OpenElement
  34. A/CN. 4/110.
  35. A/ES-10/PV. 23, 2003.
  36. A/RES/37/123, 1982.
  37. A/RES/67/19, 2012.
  38. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 9 December 1948.
  39. Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, 2001.
  40. Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons. in time of war of 12 august 1949.
  41. Fourth Report on Peremptory Norms of General International Law (jus cogens) by Dire Tladi, Special Rapporteur, 31 January 2019, at: http://legal.un.org/docs/?symbol=A/CN. 4/727
  42. Germany warns Israel that annexation of any part of the occupied Palestinian territories would represent “a most serious violation of international law”, 2021, at: https://gpil. jura.uni-bonn. de/2021/05/germany-warns-israel-that-annexation-of-any-part-of-the-occupied-palestinian-territories-would-represent-a-most-serious-violation-of-international-law/
  43. HRW (2009), Rain of Fire Israel’s Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza, at: https://www. hrw.org/report/2009/03/25/rain-fire/israels-unlawful-use-white-phosphorus-gaza
  44. HRW (2021), Q&A: 2021 Hostilities between Israel and Palestinian Armed Groups, 28 May 2021, at: https://www. hrw.org/news/2021/05/28/qa-2021-hostilities-between-israel-and-palestinian-armed-groups
  45. Human Rights Council (2017), Situation of human rights in Myanmar, Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 24 March 2017 (A/HRC/RES/34/22).
  46. Human Rights Council (2018), Report of the detailed findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, 17 Sep 2018 (A/HRC/39/CRP. 2).
  47. Human Rights Council, 25 Sep 2009, Human Rights in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories, Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, A/HRC/12/48.
  48. Israeli annexation of parts of the Palestinian West Bank would break international law – UN experts call on the international community to ensure accountability, 2020, at: https://www. ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews. aspx?NewsID=25960&LangID=E
  49. Lynk, Michael, Occupied Palestinian Territory: Israeli settlements should be classified as war crimes, says UN expert, 2021, at: https://www. ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews. aspx?NewsID=27291&LangID=E
  50. S/RES/1860, 2009.
  51. S/RES/681, 1990.
  52. S/RES/2334, 2016.
  53. Statement of ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, on the conclusion of the preliminary examination of the Situation in Palestine, and seeking a ruling on the scope of the Court’s territorial jurisdiction, 2019, at: https://www.icc-cpi. int/Pages/item. aspx?name=20191220-otp-statement-palestine.