South Africa’s genocide case against Israel is strong – and may win | Kenneth Roth

In the Hague trial, both sides have largely avoided evidence contradicting their case. Yet South Africa's arguments are strong

Watching lawyers for South Africa and Israel debate whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza was like observing two versions of reality that barely intersect.

Each set of counsel, appearing before the international court of justice at The Hague, largely avoided the most powerful evidence contradicting their case, and the absence of a factual hearing or any questioning left it unclear how the judges will resolve the dispute. Yet I would wager that South Africa's case was strong enough that the court will impose some provisional measures on Israel in the hope of mitigating the enormous civilian harm caused by Israel's approach to fighting Hamas.

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch (1993-2022), is a visiting professor at Princeton's School for Public and International Affairs