In a highly anticipated interim ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on South Africa’s accusations that Israel is committing genocide, Israel lost the procedural question – as the case has not been dismissed. In addition, the ICJ has decided to issue provisional measures against Israel, as per South Africa’s request.
 
South Africa’s most pivotal request – cessation of hostilities – has not been granted – but the Court has instructed Israel to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to genocide, and take immediate and effective measures to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, among other measures. Globally, the world remains divided in regard to the ongoing trial with this ruling further dividing the international community.
 
What lies ahead, and what do the implications of instructing preventive measures entail? How will these measures resonate in the intricate web of international relations? Delving deeper, what effect might this decision have on the ICJ and the broader landscape of international law? These are only some of the questions that we plan to address during our panel. The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to gather the renowned experts to discuss this important topic.

Yonah Jeremy Bob is The Jerusalem Post’s senior military correspondent, intelligence analyst and Literary Editor. He covers the Israeli military, the Mossad, the Shin Bet, defense technologies, Iran’s weapons of mass destruction, cyberwarfare, and war crimes allegations. Yonah is also well-connected to all of the top Israeli ministries from his former posts in the IDF, the Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry.

Yonah is the author of Target Tehran, about the Mossad’s secret war against Iran’s nuclear program and its role in the Abraham Accords, published by Simon & Schuster in September 2023. The book has made the Wall Street Journal’s top 5 books list for Politics for the year 2023.

Yonah has been interviewed by CNN, BBC, Skynews, al Jazeera, Voice of America, Reuters and a range of other television and radio programs. Yonah also delivers foreign affairs lectures and zoom lectures throughout the US, Canada, Australia and Israel.

Natasha Hausdorff is a Barrister and expert commentator on international law, including the law of armed conflict, foreign affairs and national security policy. She holds law degrees from Oxford and Tel Aviv Universities and was a Fellow in the National Security Law Programme at Columbia Law School in New York. Natasha previously worked for American law firm Skadden Arps, in London and Brussels, and clerked for the President of the Israeli Supreme Court, Chief Justice Miriam Naor, in Jerusalem. In a voluntary capacity she serves as legal director of UK Lawyers for Israel Charitable Trust.

Dr Helena Ivanov is an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. She recently completed a PhD in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research focuses on the relationship between propaganda and violence against civilians. In her thesis, Helena examined the role propaganda played during the Yugoslav Wars and produced a model for studying propaganda which details the key phases, functions, discourses, and techniques of propaganda (the model itself is applicable to other contexts). Additionally, Helena also served as a Manager at the Centre for International Studies at the LSE.

Prior to her PhD, Helena completed an MPhil in Political Theory at the University of Oxford, and holds a BA in Politics from the University of Belgrade.

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EVENT SUMMARY

The Henry Jackson Society was pleased to welcome Yonah Jeremy Bob to discuss the recent ICJ ruling in favor of South African Genocide against Israel. Expert Yonah Jeremy Bob spoke about the alarming rise of antisemitism in the UK and the impact of the ICJ decision on international relations. He discussed how Israel’s ratification of the Convention on Genocide created legal implications for the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) jurisdiction, fearing that international arrests could impact Israeli alliances with Arab and other European countries. The speakers then discussed the uncertainty felt about Biden’s stance on Israel, discussing a potential shift in policy if he is reelected. They also addressed combating antisemitism, emphasizing the importance for journalists to verify their information before publishing content and correcting the misinformation, protesting peacefully, and engaging in activism on college campuses. According to Yonah Jeremy Bob, the ICJ case has already hurt the power of international law. Therefore, he expressed his frustration with international law’s lack of enforcement in the Israel-Palestine conflict.  

This event can only be watched ONLINE. To register your interest please follow the link.