Is Alan Dershowitz going to represent Israel at the International Court of Justice?

Israel will appear to contest South Africa’s recent claim that it is commiting genocide in Gaza

Prof. Alan Dershowitz on Jan. 29, 2020. Photo by Senate Television via Getty Images

By Camillo Barone January 2, 2024

Israeli officials are reportedly considering enlisting Alan Dershowitz to represent Israel at the International Court of Justice as it contests South Africa’s claim that it is committing genocide in Gaza.

“I called Dershowitz who didn’t deny it and said: ‘I can’t comment on that at this stage,'” political reporter Barak David wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dershowitz, 85, was part of Harvey Weinstein’s defense team in 2018, and also played a significant role in defending former President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020. He has written multiple books expressing strong support for Israel, most recently Defending Israel: Against Hamas and its Radical Left Enablers, which was published in December.

Israel has denied South Africa’s charges, which were filed on Friday, labeling them an “absurd blood libel.” South Africa’s claim, which asks that the International Court of Justice order Israel to cease its campaign in Gaza, asserts that the war is “intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group.”

Dershowitz has been critical of the ICJ’s legitimacy in the past, claiming in 2004 it was “founded” on discrimination, in response to an advisory opinion it issued calling the building of a separation fence in the West Bank “contrary to international law.”

Camillo Barone is an editorial intern at the Forward. You can reach him by email at barone@forward.com or follow him on Twitter at @camillobarone97.

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