The decision of the German government to oppose South Africa, which filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide of the population of the Gaza Strip, did not surprise Russia, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

“This is happening against the backdrop of the unconditional support that Berlin always provides to Israel without regard to its consequences,” Zakharova said in a commentary published on the Foreign Ministry’s website.

The diplomat emphasized that this line of the German authorities has long and firmly occupied an important place among the unspoken dogmas of the “rules-based order” determined by Washington.

The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman added that in this case, Berlin, through its actions, is doing Tel Aviv a disservice.

“History knows many examples when criminals who committed serious offenses took the path of correction, using their knowledge of illegal experience, helped prevent similar atrocities... We see that Germany has taken a different path of interaction with its past.

Again, like 80 years ago, in the actions of official Berlin there is a division of people along national lines, taken to a new, more sophisticated level,” Zakharova stated.

  • Maria Zakharova

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In particular, according to her, Berlin continues to refuse to pay compensation to non-Jewish siege survivors of Leningrad.

In addition, the German authorities have taken a course towards undermining Russian efforts to prevent the rehabilitation of Nazism, which was repeatedly demonstrated during the UN votes on the adoption of a resolution proposed by Russia on combating the glorification of Nazism.

The official representative of the Foreign Ministry emphasized that Moscow considers the behavior of the German authorities unacceptable, immoral, illegal and immoral, but the most alarming thing remains the revival of German militarism against the backdrop of approval of neo-Nazi practices.

Genocide claim 

Let us recall that on January 12, the German authorities announced their intention to take part in the consideration of the claim against Israel as a third party.

The official representative of the German Cabinet, Steffen Hebestreit, then said that the republic supports the work of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, but categorically disagrees with the content of the lawsuit against Israel.

“We know that different countries have different assessments of Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip.

However, the government strongly and unequivocally rejects the charges of genocide brought against Israel in the international court.

This accusation has no basis,” TASS quoted him as saying.

It is worth noting that previously a similar position was announced in the United States.

“We believe this lawsuit is frivolous, counterproductive and completely devoid of any factual basis,” John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the White House National Security Council, said in early January.

The Republic of South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel with the International Court of Justice in December 2023 for alleged violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, approved in 1948.

In its statement of claim, South Africa claims that Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip "are genocidal in that they are aimed at the destruction of a significant part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group, namely the Palestinian group living in the Gaza Strip."

It was emphasized that as a result of the actions of the Israeli military, at least 21 thousand Palestinians (more than a third of whom were children) were killed, and about 7.8 thousand more people were listed as missing.

According to the latest data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, the death toll has risen to 25.1 thousand, and about 62.9 thousand people were injured.

In addition, Israel caused significant damage to Gaza's infrastructure.

According to data collected by South Africa, the IDF destroyed entire neighborhoods, damaging or destroying more than 355,000 homes in total.

The document submitted to the international court contained a demand for Israel to immediately suspend its military operations carried out in the Gaza Strip and directed against it.

For its part, Israel has rejected accusations of genocide, and lawyers representing its interests have said that the International Court of Justice does not have the necessary jurisdiction to consider South Africa's claim.

At the same time, the media, citing diplomatic documents from the Israeli side, reported that Tel Aviv was very sensitive to South Africa’s claim, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Jewish state instructed its embassies in other countries to put pressure on diplomats and politicians to make statements against South Africa’s case in the International Court UN.

This was reported by the American portal Axios with reference to a copy of a diplomatic telegram received from Israeli officials.

“The court's decision could have significant potential consequences not only in the legal sphere, but also have practical bilateral and multilateral economic and security implications,” the note said.

  • Destruction in Gaza

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In it, Israeli diplomats were instructed to seek public statements from politicians in the countries where they are located that their state rejects the accusations brought against Tel Aviv.

Israeli embassies in other countries are said to have been instructed to ask diplomats and politicians at the highest levels to publicly acknowledge that Tel Aviv is working to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and minimize harm to civilians in the enclave.

In addition, Israeli ambassadors were informed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would send similar letters to dozens of world leaders.

Reputation of the West 

Despite the fact that in Germany itself there were demonstrations against Israel’s actions in Gaza, Berlin publicly supports Tel Aviv in the international arena because of its proximity to the United States, Vadim, head of the Center for Global Studies and International Relations of the IAMP of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, noted in a conversation with RT Kozyulin.

“Berlin is in the wake of US policy, and it supports Israel even though the topic of genocide is especially sensitive for Germany due to the historical context.

Several generations of Germans grew up with the idea that genocide is a universal evil that must be fought.

These feelings among German citizens work against Israel,” the political scientist explained.

Nevertheless, the US position is decisive on this issue, the specialist added.

“There is no widespread international condemnation of Israel because it is supported by the United States and the rest have to adhere to the same policy.

Many other countries are simply not ready to come up with theses that contradict the course of the United States,” Kozyulin emphasized.

Nigerian analyst and documentary director Victor Okhai shares a similar point of view.

“America and Israel are inextricably linked to each other, so that in the eyes of America - as well as the rest of the West - Israel is infallible, and they are ready to turn a blind eye even to the outright genocide to which innocent women and children in Palestine are being subjected,” - Okhai said on RT.

At the same time, Vadim Kozyulin believes that the very fact of filing a lawsuit against Israel will affect the authority of the Jewish state.

“Israel used to be a victim; today it is becoming an aggressor, pursuing an inhumane policy and violating international humanitarian law.

For many today this is obvious.

At least at an unofficial level, I think most countries understand and recognize this,” the analyst explained.

In a conversation with RT, Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, noted that Germany, according to Art.

63 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, as a party to a multilateral treaty, may intervene in a dispute concerning its interpretation.

In this case we are talking about the Genocide Convention.

“This is a formal basis for participation in court.

The UN Court does not assume that any special other grounds are needed for participation in a case of violation of international agreements,” the expert explained.

  • Destruction in Gaza

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According to him, theoretically, a third party participates in the proceedings in order to interpret its subject from a neutral position, but in practice, Germany, by joining the process, will support one of the participants with its interpretation, in this case, Israel.

“An accusation against Israel is an accusation against the collective West.

That's why Germany is joining in on his side.

If the decision is not made in favor of Tel Aviv, which is quite likely, then this will have certain ideological consequences from the point of view of the countries of the so-called Global South that support the Palestinians.

The West, of course, does not want to allow this,” Bruter emphasized.

From his point of view, the German authorities feel that the West's position is being undermined by the claim against Israel, so Berlin is coming to the defense of Tel Aviv.

“The West must be above all possible claims against it.

Otherwise, it turns out that the West no longer has the opportunity to independently determine the world agenda, as well as appoint those responsible.

However, even with the help of Germany, Israel will not be able to completely abdicate its responsibility.

The process has already been initiated, and the UN court will have to decide something, because this is what the global majority is waiting for.

The question is what the verdict will be.

Naturally, the West will not accept it if it is not in its favor, but this will be an important decision for the countries of the global majority,” the analyst concluded.