Govt ‘to consider’ South Africa genocide case intervention
IRELAND may make an intervention in an existing case relating to Israel’s actions in Palestine, the Taoiseach has confirmed.
Leo Varadkar said the Government is “committed to consider an intervention in the South Africa versus Israel case” at the International Court of Justice when South Africa files its main case.
It comes amid growing pressure on the Irish Government to support South Africa’s move at the International Court of
Justice which alleges that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
A Social Democrats motion calling for the Government to support the case will be debated in the Dail today.
In advance of that debate, the Government put forward a motion expressing “its deepest concern at the conditions deterioration of the situation in Gaza” and that it “must be an advocate for an immediate stop to the death and destruction in Gaza and take relevant actions to this end”. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said she read through the Government motion and “wondered why you bothered”.
She added: “It doesn’t contain any commitment to intervene on the side of South Africa at the International Court of Justice.
“All you say is this will be considered after the preliminary ruling.
“Taoiseach, it’s obvious that the Government doesn’t want to use or even contemplate the word genocide when it comes to Israel’s actions in Gaza.”
In response, the Taoiseach committed to the Government considering backing the South Africa case once there is a preliminary ruling.
Meanwhile, asked whether Ireland should boycott the traditional trip to the White House for St Patrick’s Day over America’s support for Israel, Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: “That doesn’t make sense. You have to engage.”