Government refuses to immediately join South Africa in genocide case against Israel

Tánaiste Micheál Martin told the Dáil he believes an Arab peace deal based on a two-state solution can be reached in the coming weeks

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that 'we must be credible when we engage' with the International Court of Justice and should not join any case for political reasons, but to succeed before the court. Picture: PA

The Government has refused to immediately join South Africa in a genocide case against Israel, despite mounting political pressure including from within its own ranks.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has told the Dáil he believes an Arab peace deal based on a two-state solution can be reached in the coming weeks after meeting with Arab counterparts this week.

However, he said that “we must be credible when we engage” with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and should not join any case for political reasons, but to succeed before the court.

Mr Martin said a decision on the provisional measures that South Africa has requested will be made by early February and this will be analysed carefully by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“Following this analysis and consultation, the Government will make a decision on whether to intervene and, if so, on what legal basis,” said Mr Martin. “As I have made clear, interventions by states are not about joining one side or another. Rather, they aim to assert a legal interpretation of the issue at hand.”

During a Dáil debate on the ongoing bombardment of Gaza, which to date has taken the lives of more than 25,000 Palestinians, minister of state Joe O’Brien said he wants Ireland to join the South African case.

“I strongly feel that as soon as possible after the court announces its preliminary measures within the next week that Ireland, as a state, should join the case,” said Mr O’Brien.

“We will support any decision of the ICJ on preliminary measures, which are final and binding on the parties concerned. We urge all parties to the convention on genocide to do the same.”

Calling on the Government to join the case, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said South Africa has shown what it means to lead and has “demonstrated what it means to stand for humanity against genocide”.

'Hedging its bets'

She said it is “disgraceful” that the Government would still equivocate and “still hedge its bets”.

Echoing this call, Labour leader Ivana Bacik said around 1% of the entire population of Gaza has been killed since the “brutal” Hamas attack on October 7.

Earlier in the day, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns asked if the Government is waiting for the death toll to reach 30,000, 40,000, or 50,000 people before it acts.

“It is obvious the Government does not wish to use or even contemplate the word ‘genocide’ when it comes to Israel’s actions in Gaza," she said. 

"That is why it is refusing to take a stance now and signal its support for South Africa at the Court of Justice. It wants to wait until it has the cover of the preliminary ruling and then it will consider its options. This approach lacks courage.”