UN Court Appointments Raise Concerns Over Bias Against Israel
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
The UN has appointed five new judges to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, with terms starting in 2027, sparking Israeli concerns over perceived bias. Several appointees, including Jordanian judge Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, have a history of legal actions against Israel. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the selections, citing their past actions as evidence of inherent UN bias against the country. The appointments come as the ICJ is hearing South Africa's genocide case against Israel.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- UN appointed five new judges to the ICJ, raising Israeli concerns over bias.
- Jordanian judge Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud has a history of legal actions against Israel.
- UK and Kenyan professors also have experience in legal proceedings against Israel.
- Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the appointments as biased.
- The ICJ is currently hearing South Africa's genocide case against Israel.
The UN Security Council and General Assembly approved five new judges for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, whose terms begin in 2027 and run until 2036. These appointments have caused significant unease in Israel due to the past legal and political activities of some of the selected judges against the country.
Jordanian judge Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, who has served on the court since May 2025 and was re-elected, is a particular focus of concern. Hmoud, a former Jordanian ambassador to the UN and legal advisor to his country's Foreign Ministry, has a history of leading Jordan's legal challenges against Israel at the ICJ, including cases related to the separation barrier in 2004 and an advisory opinion in 2024 on Israeli presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In late October 2023, he accused Israel of "war crimes" and "ethnic cleansing" at the UN Security Council.
Two other elected judges, Professor Daphne Akande from the UK and Professor Phoebe N. Okowa from Kenya, also have experience in legal proceedings against Israel. Both have advised countries in UN International Law Commission matters that led to opinions against Israel in 2024 concerning its policies in the West Bank. Akande advised Japan, and Okowa advised Namibia.
The other two appointees are François Alabrune of France, a diplomat and jurist with experience in genocide cases, and Rene L. Li of Singapore, an expert in negotiation and maritime law who held senior positions in Singapore's judiciary.
Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, criticized the appointments, stating that the judges' professional backgrounds raise "disturbing questions." He questioned the possibility of fair judgment from judges who have quickly accused Israel of severe crimes or acted as active counsel against the country. Danon concluded that the decision exemplifies the UN's "inherent bias" against Israel.
The article notes the critical importance of the ICJ's 15 judges, especially given the ongoing case filed by South Africa against Israel in December 2023, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention during the recent conflict. The court has issued interim measures in this case.