How genocide officially became a crime, and why South Africa is accusing Israel of committing it
ABC News
In the aftermath of World War II and the murder by Nazi Germany of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, the world united around the pledge: Never again
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- In the aftermath of World War II and the murder by Nazi Germany of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, the world united around a now-familiar pledge: Never again.
A key part of that lofty aspiration was the drafting of a convention that codified and committed nations to prevent and punish a new crime, sometimes called the crime of crimes: genocide.
The convention was drawn up in 1948, the year of Israel's creation as a Jewish state. Now that country is being accused at the United Nations' highest court of committing the very crime so deeply woven into its national identity.
The reason the genocide convention exists “is related directly to what the (Nazi) Third Reich attempted to do in eliminating a people, the Jewish people, not only of Germany, but of Eastern Europe, of Russia," said Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor of law and international peace studies at Notre Dame University's Kroc Institute.
Now, in response to Israel's devastating military offensive in Gaza that was triggered by murders and atrocities perpetrated by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, South Africa has gone to the International Court of Justice and accused Israel of genocide. Israel rejects the claim and accuses Pretoria of providing political cover for Hamas.
