Ireland accuses Israel of genocide, joins ICJ case

Dublin signs on to Gaza genocide case in the International Court of Justice as part of petition first launched by South Africa.

By World Israel News Staff

Ireland signed on to South Africa’s petition to the International Court of Justice that accuses Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip, the court announced on Tuesday.

The case was first launched in December 2023 after South Africa’s government filed a brief with the United Nations court, calling for an investigation into Israel’s handling of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Since then, a number of other countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, Maldives, Chile, Spain, Turkey, and Bolivia, have signed onto the petition. The Palestinian Authority has also signed the petition, calling on the ICJ to intervene.

On Monday, Dublin joined the case, invoking Article 63 of the court’s statue while adding no new allegations against Israel.

Ireland did offer a unique legal reasoning for the petition, however, telling the court that the definition of genocide, the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part” of a population, could be met if actions could be reasonably perceived as having such a goal in mind.

“In Ireland’s view, specific intent can also be inferred in any case where a reasonable person would have foreseen that the natural and probable consequence of the acts of the perpetrator was to so destroy or contribute to destruction of the protected group,” Dublin wrote to the court.

“Ireland respectfully submits that the perpetrator does not need to have, as his or her purpose, the commission of the crime of genocide when committing any one or more of the material elements of the crime.”

For almost a year, Dublin has signaled its intention to join South Africa’s petition, first announcing its plans to do so last March. Diplomatic relations between Israel and Ireland hit their nadir; Jerusalem shuttered its embassy in Dublin last month.

The decision was made after the Irish cabinet voted to join South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel.

“The antisemitic actions and rhetoric that Ireland is taking against Israel are based on delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and on double standards,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in December.

“Ireland has crossed all red lines in its relationship with Israel. Israel will invest its resources in promoting bilateral relations with the countries of the world according to priorities that are also derived from the attitude of the various countries towards it.”