Guatemala condemned what it deemed as “genocide allegations” presented by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice.
In a statement issued on Monday, Guatemala expressed regret that the South African government filed a complaint against Israel at the International Court of Justice as part of Israel’s legitimate defense against terrorist attacks, according to the Central American nation.
The statement continued, “Guatemala affirms that Israel’s constant goal has always been to repel ongoing attacks aimed at intimidating the population and destabilizing the region.”
Like most Western powers, Guatemala also supported what it considered “Israel’s right to self-defense” and condemned Hamas attacks.
It is worth noting that Guatemala will witness its newly elected president, Bernardo Arévalo, taking the constitutional oath on Sunday, who unexpectedly won in presidential elections held last August.
Arévalo, 65, faces attempts by the prosecutor’s office to annul the election results and ban his political party.
What happened?
South Africa has requested the International Court of Justice to issue an urgent order declaring that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention signed in 1948 in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Israel denies the allegations and stated that it will appear before the court in The Hague to refute them.
South Africa has supported the establishment of a Palestinian state on the territories occupied by Israel for decades, and it has likened the Palestinian issue to the black majority issue in South Africa during the era of apartheid, a stance that Israel strongly opposes.
The International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, is the highest court of the United Nations, but its rulings are sometimes ignored.
In March 2022, the court ordered Russia to immediately halt its military attack on Ukraine, a call that Moscow did not respond to.
