(JNS) Irwin J. Mansdorf, Ph.D - By agreeing to even hear South Africa's spurious "genocide" charge against the Jewish state, the International Court of Justice failed miserably. There was nothing that any Israeli public relations could have done about it. The ICJ took seriously a charge that was simply ludicrous and absurd, as any reasonable person would recognize. Yet here were judges, who are supposed to represent right vs. wrong, failing to exercise not only proper legal judgement but also simple common sense. The fact that judges who were trained in Western democracies were part of this farce is even more disturbing. So was the fact that the treaty creating the ICJ was formulated in the wake of a genocide against the Jews of yesterday, but failed to protect Jews from a party that wishes no less for the Jews of today. It is inconceivable that these judges were not fully aware of the truth. They simply did not care. In a ridiculous move, the ICJ accused Israeli President Isaac Herzog, a consensus figure in Israel known for his moderation and mild-mannered personality, of engaging in "incitement" by using language that any rational person would consider appropriate after the type of attack perpetrated by Hamas. We are dealing with a distorted value system, not a lack of information. It is senseless to believe that, after experiencing the atrocities of Hamas, Israel would have to "explain" anything. It is futile to continue trying to convince people with debased moral standards that beheading, rape, kidnapping and random murder are wrong. Rather than investing energy and resources into convincing others, we would be better served by continuing our fight to be a "light unto the nations" and doing what is right. The writer is a fellow at the Jerusalem Center of Public Affairs specializing in political psychology and a member of the emergency division of the IDF Homefront Command.
2024-01-31 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive