My Take | China derives enormous diplomatic benefits from Palestine crisis, top US political scientist says
- John Mearsheimer, in an interview, also argues South Africa’s case of genocide against Israel before the ICJ will further isolate the Jewish state and the US, while Palestinians face the bleak prospect of apartheid or ethnic cleansing
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Palestinians face bleak prospects of ethnic cleansing or apartheid, warns US political scientist
What do you think about South Africa’s case of genocide against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)? Is it convincing?
I listened to the South African case as it was presented from start to finish. I thought the team did an excellent job. It was done very professionally. I found nothing in the presentation that was really surprising because they issued an 84-page report beforehand that I had read. And the presentation made by the South African team corresponded quite closely with that.
What about Israel’s defence?
I had not known what they were going to say because the Israelis did not present any document beforehand. Nevertheless, I anticipated what they would say would reflect their talking points over the past few months at great length in the West.
They did not disappoint me. What the Israelis argued was not surprising for the most part. My view going in, which is that the Israelis are in the process of waging a genocide against the Palestinians, is the same view I left with after hearing the Israelis.
The ICJ case clearly has an impact on how the world, global opinion, views Israel, the Israel-US relationship and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What do you see are the implications for these three factors?
For the Israelis, this was a disastrous situation because here you have a state, a Jewish state, and in light of the Holocaust, to be accused of genocide is absolutely terrible.