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A Jewish man waves an Israeli flag in Jerusalem's Old City. Picture: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN
Despite contrary views from some of your contributors, Israel has not committed any acts of genocide despite some arguably controversial decisions, and they all know it.
Whether one agrees with Israel’s military response to the terrible atrocities committed against its citizens on October 7, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice cases against Israel and its leaders are nothing more than an undermining of the law, to reach certain preplanned conclusions that are not backed up by international law.
If one studies the strict definitions of genocide and crimes against humanity (there is lots of information out there, starting with the Nuremberg Trials of 1945), it is clear the defendant’s intentions or conduct were not in any way consistent with these definitions, or even the domestic laws of participating nations.
Furthermore, it has been confirmed by some of the top legal brains in the world that the ICC did not have the jurisdiction to even try the recent case, and in so doing committed scores of breaches of the law, including ignoring and distorting relevant and critical evidence to reach its predetermined outcome.
The whole expensive charade was a travesty of justice in the full legal sense. Prosecutors committed one legal breach after another to obtain a legally flawed judgment. Any unbiased, competent, honest court would throw out the judgments, and illegal arrest warrants, on appeal. There is simply no case.
One day we will have to explain to our children why we have one set of values and laws for Israel and Jews, and another set for everybody else. But we all already know the answer to that.
David Wolpert Sydney, Australia
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: There is no Israeli genocide
Despite contrary views from some of your contributors, Israel has not committed any acts of genocide despite some arguably controversial decisions, and they all know it.
Whether one agrees with Israel’s military response to the terrible atrocities committed against its citizens on October 7, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice cases against Israel and its leaders are nothing more than an undermining of the law, to reach certain preplanned conclusions that are not backed up by international law.
If one studies the strict definitions of genocide and crimes against humanity (there is lots of information out there, starting with the Nuremberg Trials of 1945), it is clear the defendant’s intentions or conduct were not in any way consistent with these definitions, or even the domestic laws of participating nations.
Furthermore, it has been confirmed by some of the top legal brains in the world that the ICC did not have the jurisdiction to even try the recent case, and in so doing committed scores of breaches of the law, including ignoring and distorting relevant and critical evidence to reach its predetermined outcome.
The whole expensive charade was a travesty of justice in the full legal sense. Prosecutors committed one legal breach after another to obtain a legally flawed judgment. Any unbiased, competent, honest court would throw out the judgments, and illegal arrest warrants, on appeal. There is simply no case.
One day we will have to explain to our children why we have one set of values and laws for Israel and Jews, and another set for everybody else. But we all already know the answer to that.
David Wolpert
Sydney, Australia
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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