In The Hague on April 8 and 9, hearings were held on a claim against Germany for violation due to the fact that Berlin sells weapons to Israel.
Nicaragua brought charges against Germany on March 1. In the lawsuit approvedthat Germany, by providing support to Israel, including by selling it weapons, “contributes to the commission of genocide and does not fulfill its obligation to do everything possible to prevent genocide.”
The lawsuit builds on another genocide case before the International Court of Justice. At the end of December 2023, it was filed by South Africa: this country accused Israel that its actions in the Gaza Strip are “genocidal in nature” against the Palestinians, and demanded to stop the military operation in the Gaza Strip and take “all reasonable actions” to prevent genocide.
In late January, the court ordered Israel to prevent “any act that could be considered genocide,” ensure that IDF troops do not commit acts of genocide, and ensure that Gazans have access to humanitarian aid, as interim measures. At the same time, the court did not demand an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which South Africa also insisted on. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the court decision that Israel rejects the “despicable attempt” to deny it the right to self-defense and noted that his country is waging a war against terrorists, not against the Palestinian people.
Nicaragua, in its claim, filed approximately one month after the decision on interim measures, indicatedthat Germany, by continuing to provide military assistance to Israel, is itself becoming complicit in alleged war crimes.
Germany is one of Israel’s most important allies. It is the second largest arms supplier to Israel after the United States: over the past ten years, Berlin provided the Israelis receive about 30% of the weapons they purchase.
At the April 9 hearing, German representative Tanja von Uslar-Gleischen rejected accusations against Nicaragua, saying Berlin was “doing everything possible to fulfill its obligations to both the Israeli and Palestinian people.” She also stressed that Germany “has learned from its past, which includes responsibility for some of the worst crimes in human history.” “This explains one of the principles of foreign policy on which the approach to all Middle East problems is based. Our history is the reason why Israeli security remains a central element of German foreign policy,” von Uslar-Gleischen said.
Another German representative Christian Tams at the meeting statedthat after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, 98% of military exports from Germany to Israel were not weapons, but military equipment and equipment. According to him, in three out of four cases where it was a question of direct arms exports, the shipments concerned weapons unsuitable for use in combat, such as training ammunition.
A trial is expected in the coming weeks. decides on provisional measures to be imposed until the end of the proceedings. The entire process will likely take years. As part of these temporary measures, Nicaragua wants Germany to stop supplying military equipment, prevent weapons already supplied from being used to commit genocide, and restore funding. At the same time, the court does not have mechanisms for enforcing the execution of the decision; refusal to comply with it will lead mainly to reputational consequences.
How notes Deutsche Welle says Germany “faces an existential challenge” because of the lawsuit. On the one hand, the country’s entire post-war identity is built on adherence to the universal principles of international law, on the other hand, this position is largely due to the understanding of responsibility for the crimes of the Holocaust, which Germany is trying to atone for by supporting Israel for decades.
The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has continued since October 2023. It began after terrorists raided Israel and killed more than 1,200 civilians and took several hundred hostages, who were transported to the Gaza Strip. In response, the Israel Defense Forces invaded the enclave to free the hostages and destroy Hamas. As a result of IDF actions in the sector, more than 33 thousand people were killed, according to data.
Israel insists its actions fall within the right of self-defense. At the same time, many critics, including in Western countries that traditionally support Israel, call the IDF’s actions excessive and point to the disproportionate number of civilian casualties in the sector.
The US authorities (Israel’s most consistent ally) made it clear in early April that, despite the “firm and unwavering” support of the Jewish state in the fight against Hamas, they are ready to reconsider the approach to bilateral relations if Israel does not take measures to ensure the safety of civilians and prevent humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
If Israel doesn’t change its policies, the US will change itss Biden spoke to Netanyahu after IDF strike on aid convoy in Gaza – and warned that ‘patience has run out’
If Israel doesn’t change its policies, the US will change itss Biden spoke to Netanyahu after IDF strike on aid convoy in Gaza – and warned that ‘patience has run out’
2024-04-09 15:43:00
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