“The ICJ has ruled against Israel, ordering it to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. Our government must heed this judgement, ending arms sales to Israel & demanding an immediate ceasefire.”
– Zarah Sultana MP
By the Labour Outlook team
The International Court of Justice has today upheld that South Africa has serious grounds to bring a case of genocide against the Israeli government in a watershed ruling. The court has ordered that the Israeli government take all measures within its power to prevent genocide, allow humanitarian aid to access Gaza, crack down on incitements to genocide from its officials, and that it should report back on the measures it has taken to do so in a month.
Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said, ‘it is difficult to see how Israel can abide by the measures ordered by the court without an immediate cessation of a military campaign, which has involved the indiscriminate bombing of civilians, forced displacement of 1.7 million Palestinians and, as made clear in devastating detail by the Court, has destroyed the societal infrastructure of Gaza and created a humanitarian catastrophe.’
‘The judgement also carries immediate implications for the UK as a signatory to the Genocide Convention. It must not aid acts which the court has found to be a plausible case of genocide. The UK government must now call for an immediate ceasefire, for Israel to abide by all of the measures imposed by the Court, and must immediately suspend all arms sales to Israel given the clear likelihood that such arms may be used to aid the commission of genocide.’
The Stop the War Coalition said it was ‘a potentially historic ruling. British politicians must heed the ICJ’s ruling. The world wants an immediate end to the genocide. Well done to South Africa for representing the will of the people.’
Make no mistake: the #ICJ ruling is a total embarrassment for govt's, including ours in the UK, that support Israel.
— Stop the War (@STWuk) January 26, 2024
Following today's order to prevent acts of genocide there is absolutely no way that any more British arms should be sent to Israel.#StopArmingIsrael pic.twitter.com/9loDkXewda
Zarah Sultana – an MP who has been at the forefront of challenging the government on its approach to the Israeli bombing of Gaza – argued that ‘this must be a turning point. The International Court of Justice has ruled against Israel, ordering it to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. Our government must heed this judgement, ending arms sales to Israel and demanding an immediate ceasefire.’
This must be a turning point.
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) January 26, 2024
The International Court of Justice has ruled against Israel, ordering it to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.
Our government must heed this judgement, ending arms sales to Israel and demanding an immediate ceasefire.
In a statement released following the ruling, Jeremy Corbyn said that ‘South Africa’s case was thorough and devastating, laying out what Palestinians have been telling us for months: that Israel’s war relentless bombardment is a war on the people of Gaza.’
‘The ICJ corroborated that Israel has caused enormous levels of death, destruction and displacement; found that this relates to plausible risk of Israel committing genocide; and ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide’.
Today's verdict from the ICJ is a vital step toward justice for the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/BO3XL7lRym
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) January 26, 2024
A host of MPs welcomed the judgement, renewing their calls for a ceasefire, including, Apsana Begum, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Imran Hussain, Nadia Whittome, and Beth Winter.
Jon Trickett and Richard Burgon both argued that this bolstered the case for ceasing all arms trading with Israel –
the ICJ ruling means the Britain must cease granting arms export licences for weapons to Israel pending the court’s final determination
— Jon Trickett MP (@jon_trickett) January 26, 2024
UK arms export licensing Rule 2c: licences must “not grant (licenses) if there is risk …of a violation of international humanitarian law”
Following the International Court of Justice ruling today and its order for provisional measures to protect the Palestinian people, our Government has a clear obligation to ensure it does nothing to aid Israel’s war on Gaza. It should start by suspending arms sales to Israel.
— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) January 26, 2024
Responding to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netenyahu’s, description of the ruling as a ‘disgrace’, Diane Abbott said, ‘the real disgrace is Israel’s slaughter in Gaza ‘.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu says the International Criminal Justice Court’s willingness to even discuss genocide claims against Israel is a disgrace. The real disgrace is Israel’s slaughter in Gaza #CeasefireForGazaNOW pic.twitter.com/ZDAwM4Omc1
— Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) January 26, 2024
The court’s decision has severely weakened those who have defended the Israeli government – including the UK government – from accusations of war crimes. Join tomorrow’s day of action, and the march for Palestine on Saturday 3rd February to dial up the pressure and call for a ceasefire now.
- Sign up here for the Red Bloc at the next Ceasefire Now national demonstration on 3rd Feb.
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