B’nai B’rith International, B’nai Brith Canada, B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem and the B’nai B’rith Office of United Nations Affairs have jointly submitted a request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with arguments against the case of South Africa v. Israel that is currently pending at the court.
The case, filed by the government of South Africa, asks the court to consider whether Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
"The South African request should be rejected on the basis that a ruling in favor of South Africa’s argument would allow Hamas to continue its attack on the State of Israel. Hamas is responsible both for the genocide of the Jewish people on Oct. 7 and for the subsequent suffering of the residents of Gaza," B'nai B'rith stated.
"South Africa’s request for provisional measures by the court would essentially allow Hamas to rearm, enabling the terror group to continue its genocide of the Jewish people. The B’nai B’rith submission also requests that, if the court decides that it has jurisdiction, South Africa and other Genocide Convention parties recognize Hamas' genocide against the Jewish people in Israel and designate Hamas as a criminal organization," the organization said.
The brief was prepared by B’nai B’rith International Honorary President Richard D. Heideman and Joseph Tipograph of Heideman Nudelman & Kalik, PC, and B’nai Brith Canada Senior Honorary Counsel David Matas.
B’nai B’rith also urged countries that have supported Israel’s right to self-defense following Hamas’ October 7 massacre to submit their own filings to the court and to reference B’nai B’rith’s submission in their own filings.