Germany is being sued over genocide complicity for helping Israel — RT World News

On April 8 and 9, the International Court of Justice, often referred to as the “World Court,” will hold hearings on the case brought by Nicaragua against Germany. Managua accuses Berlin of facilitating genocide and violations of international law by Israel against the Palestinians and seeks to stop military aid to the Jewish state.

The outcome of the hearings cannot be predicted. But it is clear that this is an important event that could have far-reaching consequences, for three reasons: First, this is the highest court in the United Nations. It does not have the independent capacity to implement its rulings, but it carries political weight, whether in the short or long term. Second, while Israel is not directly present in the courtroom, its ongoing genocide in Gaza is at the heart of the proceedings. Third, whichever way the ICJ rules, its decision will have implications for other countries, especially in the West, that have supported Israel and its aggressions.

Nicaragua's main argument is not complicated: United Nations Convention of 1948 The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (in short, the Genocide Convention) codifies more than one crime. Under its terms, committing the crime of genocide – Article 3(a) – is only one way to commit a horrific crime. In addition, acting as a partner – Article 3 (e). Finally, all signatory countries are committed not only to no be either perpetrators or accomplices, but have also signed the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide – Article 1.

Managua representatives Argues Berlin is guilty of two main charges: “Germany facilitates the commission of genocide” They maintain, which means working as a partner. And “In any case, it has failed in its obligation to do everything in its power to prevent genocide.” In addition, Nicaragua also Accuse Berlin says it is violating international humanitarian law, also known as the law of armed conflict, as well as many other binding rules of international law – by helping Israel to continue its illegal occupation, apartheid, and violations. “Denying the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people.”

Despite persistent misinformation, this term “racism” It refers not only to the historical case of apartheid in South Africa between 1948 (officially) and the early 1990s. In fact, apartheid has become internationally recognized A crime against humanity For half a century already, as he once again confirmed Article 7 of the Rome Statute (Basis for the International Criminal Court) Act 1998. Simply put, apartheid is a crime of the same category, e.g. “extermination” or “enslavement” It can happen, unfortunately, anywhere.

By the same token, the right to self-determination is not a matter of ideology, political discourse, or, for that matter, a choice. Rather, it is a fundamental principle of modern international law. It was written down In the United Nations Charter It has been reaffirmed repeatedly in major conventions and treaties, perhaps most famously in the UN General Assembly in 1960. “Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples”

In short, Nicaragua is not messing around: its case calls for several basic obligations under international law. It also digs much deeper than… “merely” Germany's actions during Israel's currently ongoing genocidal attack on Palestinians. In this regard, the issue focuses on Germany's continued and, in fact, escalation of military exports to Tel Aviv* and on Berlin's decision To cut off financial support For the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). But Managua also targets the fundamentals of Berlin's long-term policy toward Israel, and thus, inevitably, also toward Palestine. So the risks are higher than they might seem at first glance.

The public response in Germany has been muted and often unserious: hardline conservatism Attention For example, one newspaper suspects Nicaragua of working for Russia: Germany is the main backer of EU sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, so Managua – portrayed in the best Cold War style as… “Loyal to Moscow” – He should try to take revenge on behalf of the Kremlin. certificate? Zero of course. (Attention It is, of course, a flagship publication of Axel Springer's media group, which is staunchly pro-Israel. He also earns money from Mediation In illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank).

But Germany and its twisted motives and justifications aren't actually the most interesting aspect of this case. Instead, it lies in its international implications: this is the first time the International Court of Justice has been asked to rule on an accusation of complicity in genocide in Gaza.

Naturally, South Africa's complaint against Israel concerned Israel's role as the main perpetrator of the crime. It is important to remember that the International Court of Justice found that there is It is plausible that Israel is actually committing genocideWhich at this point was the worst possible outcome for Tel Aviv (because full decisions in such cases always take years). The judges issued several instructions to Israel (which its government treated with complete contempt) and, naturally, allowed the case to proceed. Given the way Israel has since escalated its lawless violence, it may find itself completely condemned in the not-too-distant future.

On the other hand, even the International Court of Justice's preliminary conclusion that genocide is plausible has increased the urgency of the issue of complicity: if genocide is at least a plausible possibility, then so is being an accomplice. Hence, the key question becomes how the court will define collusion. It is difficult to see what the supply of arms and ammunition will be like no Eligible. Likewise, Germany's suspension of financial support for UNRWA was absurd, on Israeli grounds The allegations, in turn, likely involved the extraction of false confessions through torture.

There is a reason why many other countries (such as Norway, Ireland, Belgium, Turkey, Spain, Portugal and Saudi Arabia) never stopped supporting UNRWA, while others that did initially stopped paying. Resumed financing (France, Japan, Sweden, Finland, Canada and the European Union). Germany's poor compromise — which partially restores funding but specifically excludes Gaza, where aid is needed most — may not impress the judges.

However, it is unlikely that Nicaragua will prevail on all the charges leveled against it, even if they are all completely logical in the opinion of the author of the article. But even a partial victory for Managua would have implications far beyond Germany's borders. If the justices follow the plaintiff's basic argument of collusion to some extent, every government and international body that has supported Israel during its current attack on the Palestinians will be at risk of facing similar charges. As they should be.

This potential precedent-setting effect would be a cause for deep concern for the United States, Great Britain, France and the European Union as a whole, or at least for the EU Commission that is seizing power under the leadership of ruthless Israel supporter Ursula von der Leyen. As the Washington Post noted, There is growing global momentumFinally, to stop arms supplies to Israel. The United States and Germany, which supply nearly 99% of total arms imports to Israel, are the main holdouts, but they appear increasingly isolated.

It is not only institutions that have to worry, but individuals as well. some British civil servants had already begun to rebel Because they resent being made complicit in genocide. In the same context, more than 600 important lawyers, academics and former judges, including former Supreme Court justices, publicly warned the British government. “It violates international law by continuing to arm Israel.”

This shift towards a more critical stance towards Tel Aviv has been strongly stimulated by the recent Israeli massacre of seven World Aid Central Kitchen (WCK) workers. While one of the victims was a young Palestinian man, the others were, in general, “Westerners.” It is clear that these deaths meant much more to Western elites, and to the masses in general, than those claimed by the lives of more than 30,000 Palestinians. Even in the United States, there are dozens of Democrats in Congress They have now publicly called for a halt to arms transfers to Israel. Signatories included not only traditional critics of Israel like Rashida Tlaib, but also hard-line Israel supporter Nancy Pelosi.

Nicaragua brought its case to the International Court of Justice on March 1. Hearings will now take place. As it turned out, the brutality of Israeli forces in general, and in the case of the attack on the WCK convoy in particular, meant that Berlin and, indirectly, Tel Aviv now faced those sessions against a wide-ranging, if far from complete, group. He turned against Israel. The judges at the International Court of Justice are, of course, jurists of the highest caliber. Their assessment of the case will not be based on this immediate background, and they may even decide to drop the Managua case, even though they should not. But the issue of Israel's complicity in genocide will not end, one way or another.

Finally, there is something that many Germans lack, such as being miserable and arrogant Attention With its narrow and tired Cold War terms, it is a fact that Nicaragua is the classic representative of both the Global South and the emerging multipolar world. In Germany, it represents a challenge to a traditional representative of the West, albeit a secondary one and one plagued by crises. The fact that the West is losing control of both key institutions and narratives represents a fundamental change. In the notorious racist terms uttered by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell “the forest” Pays a visit to “garden.” It is the park that is on the defensive: legally, morally, and in the eyes of most of humanity.

*Russia recognizes West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. as shown On the website of the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs