Al-Qalam 
[Photo: Guardian]
On Friday, 26 January 2024, the highest court in the world, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), ruled that the charge that Israel is guilty of genocide was plausible. The ICJ’s interim judgment, inter-alia, called on Israel to end its wanton killing of Palestinians, to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip urgently, and ordered Hamas to release the hostages.
While it is expected, given Israel’s track record of treating international institutions like the United Nations with contempt, that it will not comply with the orders of the ICJ, the global narrative and impunity have changed forever. Israel’s recalcitrance and continuing acts of atrocities in Gaza and elsewhere in Palestine will now come under greater scrutiny, and it will count heavily against it when the full and final court hearings will take place in the coming years.
While we should take inspiration from this small victory in the struggle for freedom for Palestinians, we cannot afford to slacken and ease up on our commendable protest actions. Rather, we need to redouble our solidarity efforts and continue to call for an immediate ceasefire to the brutal Israeli war on Gaza, support a massive humanitarian aid programme for Gaza, and campaign for concrete steps to be taken to achieve justice for the oppressed people of Palestine.
It is my considered view that the ICJ’s interim judgment is a landmark legal and moral development that will usher in the first of many more measures taken by the international community to hold the Zionist State of Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity. As peace and justice-loving global citizens, it behoves us to savour and reflect on this small but significant victory in the global struggle for a more just and compassionate world order.
Imam Dr Rashied Omar
Cape Town
