Genocide case against Israel: What power does court have?

+ Indigenous activists in Russia; how Iowa caucuses were different US Edition - Today's top story: What enforcement power does the International Court of Justice have in South Africa's genocide case against Israel? [View in browser]( US Edition | 18 January 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Far from Gaza, the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice is now considering South Africa’s claim that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians. Israel is defending its military operation in Gaza, saying that it did not intentionally kill Palestinian civilians, but rather that their deaths were an unfortunate consequence of war. The seriousness of a genocide charge doesn’t mean that the International Court of Justice will speed up its legal process, explains Victor Peskin, an international relations and human rights scholar at Arizona State University. It has typically taken this court years to deliver a verdict on genocide cases. And regardless of how the court eventually rules, it is impossible to actually enforce its verdicts. “It’s always an open question – will an [International Court of Justice ruling even be enforced and have any tangible effect?](” Peskin explained in an interview with me last week. But that’s not to say the court and its 15 judges from around the world are powerless. Peskin explains in this week’s lead story how, in the past, the court has applied political pressure to help end conflicts. Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor Judges take their seats prior to the hearing of Israel’s defense at the International Court of Justice on Jan. 12, 2024. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images [What enforcement power does the International Court of Justice have in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel?]( Victor Peskin, Arizona State University While the International Court of Justice lacks enforcement powers, it can issue orders that could heighten international pressure on Israel to curtail some of its offensive in Gaza. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears at a Fox News town hall in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 10, 2024. Joe Raedle/Getty Images [1 good thing about the Iowa caucuses, and 3 that are really troubling]( Stephen J. Farnsworth, University of Mary Washington The Iowa caucuses have long been an oddity in modern-day politics but remain a place where GOP candidates can test their presidential aspirations. Ecuador looks set to entrust its anti-gang fight to the military. Franklin Jacome/Agencia Press South/Getty Images [How Ecuador went from being Latin America’s model of stability to a nation in crisis]( Eduardo Gamarra, Florida International University Widespread violence tied to Ecuadorian drug gangs has left the country looking at a draconian response. [Women presidential candidates like Nikki Haley are more likely to change their positions to reach voters − but this doesn’t necessarily pay off]( Shawn J. Parry-Giles, University of Maryland; David Kaufer, Carnegie Mellon University Nikki Haley is the latest American female politician to shift her language, depending on whom she is talking to and where. But this tactic has a flip side, prompting criticism of her as inconsistent. [Iowa was different this time – even if the outcome was as predicted]( Timothy Hagle, University of Iowa; Stephen J. Farnsworth, University of Mary Washington From the ‘static’ polls to Trump’s ‘dissing’ of voters, two political scientists look at the Iowa caucus and see more than just the fact that Trump won it, resoundingly. [Long after Indigenous activists flee Russia, they continue to face government pressure to remain silent]( Laura A. Henry, Bowdoin College More than six years after Pavel Sulyandziga, an Indigenous activist from Russia, left the country to seek political asylum in the US, he continues to face harassment by the Russian government. [Biden, like Trump, sidesteps Congress to get things done]( Jordan Cash, Michigan State University Biden and Trump are polar opposites when it comes to policy. 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Trish, Grinnell College In Iowa, the Ron DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down seemed intent on mocking the dividing line federal regulators set between campaigns and the PACs that support them. - [US-UK airstrikes risk strengthening Houthi rebels’ position in Yemen and the region]( Mahad Darar, Colorado State University The raid follows warnings from Washington to cease attacks in the Red Sea − but it could serve to strengthen rebels and reignite civil war. - [Conflict over William Penn statue removal in Philadelphia misses a point – Penn himself might have objected to it]( - [Congress is failing to deliver on its promise of billions more in research spending, threatening America’s long-term economic competitiveness]( - [US law permits charities to encourage voting and help voters register, making GOP concerns about this assistance unfounded]( Like this newsletter? 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