Israel Matzav

Israelis to sue Ahmadinadinnerjacket for 'attempted genocide'

YNet reports this morning that a group of Israelis led by former Ambassador to the UN Dore Gold is planning to sue Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinadinnerjacket in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, and demand that it launch legal proceedings against Iran's President for conspiring to commit crimes against humanity.

The forum members include former Israeli Ambassador to the United States and France Dr. Meir Rosen, former Foreign Ministry Director-General Eytan Bentsur, and former Minister Dani Naveh. The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), headed by former Israeli Ambassador to the UN Dore Gold, is providing the forum with logistic assistance in preparing the lawsuit.

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1948, as the international community's response to the revelations on the Holocaust. According to YNet, the forum's document quotes a speech by Ahmadinejad from October 28, 2005, in which he called to "wipe Israel off the map."

Ynet notes:

The Convention on genocide defined genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. The acts for which countries can be punished as part of the Convention include physical genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, as well as a "direct and public incitement to commit genocide."

Rosen and Gold write in their document that "Ahmadinejad's remarks constitute without a doubt a 'direct and public incitement' to commit genocide. The Iranian regime supports terror organizations, such as the Islamic Jihad, which continuously carries out murderous terror attacks against innocent Israeli citizens. However, the gravity of Ahmadinejad's remarks is particularly outstanding in light of Iran's attempts to develop mass destruction weapons."

The document also stated that "the State of Israel must act against Iran through clause 9 of the Convention. According to this clause, disagreements between states that signed the Convention regarding its implementation must be solved by turning to the International Court of Justice in The Hague."

Both Israel and Iran signed and approved the discussed treaty in the 1950's.

Personally, I have my doubts as to the effectiveness of this lawsuit (what remedy are they going to give - tell him not to commit genocide?). But it can't hurt to try.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:23 AM