What to Expect from the South Africa v Israel Genocide Case

Proceedings begin at The International Court of Justice

This is an excerpt from a piece I wrote for The New Republic, published today. Click over to read the full essay.

Photo by Den Harrson on Unsplash

The Peace Palace is an august turn-of-the century building nestled in a woodsy neighborhood in The Hague. Its construction was largely funded by Andrew Carnegie, and its purpose reflected the idealism of the pre-war era. The palace would feature a vast library of books about world peace and international relations and house a court of arbitration where nations could peacefully settle their conflicts.  

Today, it is also the seat of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a principal organ of the United Nations that adjudicates legal disputes between UN member states. The ICJ – sometimes referred to as the World Court – is made up of 15 judges from around the world who are elected in votes at the UN General Assembly and Security Council. Sometimes the cases before the ICJ are relatively low stakes territorial disputes between otherwise fri…