South Africa’s court case against Israel is an ‘abuse’ of the word ‘genocide’, the country’s Ambassador to Ireland has claimed.
Last week, the International Court of Justice began its hearings in the Hague, after the South African Government said the actions of the Israeli Defence Forces over the past three months amount to a genocide against the people of Gaza.
"Entire multi-generational families will be obliterated," Irish lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh told the court.
"Yet more Palestinian children will become WCNSF - Wounded Child No Surviving Family - the terrible new acronym borne out of Israel's genocidal assault."
Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show, Israeli Ambassador Dana Erlich said her country strongly rejects South Africa’s claims of genocide.
“It is absurd that application,” she said.
“We reject it categorically because it does not define what Hamas is doing, what they say they will repeatedly do again and again.
“It’s abusing the term ‘genocide’ against the people that it was carried out [against during the Holocaust].”
According to the United Nations, genocide is an act “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.
Since Israel launched its war in the wake of the October 7th attack, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza estimates that some 24,000 people have died.
Ambassador Erlich claimed the death toll is not being provided by a reliable source.
She insisted the Israeli Government is concerned for the welfare of civilians in Gaza.
“I think we’ve shown time and time again the amount of aid that is going into Gaza,” she said.
“All the time and trouble that we’re taking in order to make sure that more aid goes in.
“We’ve opened another crossing; we’re trying to carry out the checks as quickly as possible.
“We ask the UN employees to extend their working hours, we ask them to give more manpower, so more aid goes in.”
Palestinians walk past a building destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Gaza City, 3-1-24. Image:Associated Press / AlamyWhatever the true figure, Ambassador Erlich said the situation in Gaza is “tragic” for those who live there.
“Every other death is too much,” she said.
“We need to stop this… but we need to ask ourselves why are the numbers high? Why is Hamas so embedded in its civilian population?
“What happens to all the buildings that are booby trapped by Hamas? All the terror tunnels underneath Gaza’s infrastructure?
“What happens to all the thousands of misfired rockets who hurt the civilian population in Gaza?”
Future
When asked last month about the possibility of a two-state solution, the Israeli Ambassador to Britain, Tzipi Hotovely, responded, "Absolutely no."
Despite this, Ambassador Erlich said there will have to be discussions between the two sides at some point in the future.
“We will sit down and make sure there is a viable solution,” she said.
“That there is a safe future for our children and this is what we can only hope the people of Gaza will teach their children - that they can’t go on living under the Hamas regime.”
Main image: Israeli Ambassador Dana Erlich. Image: Newstalk.
