South Africa Goes to War Against Israel at the ICJ

South Africa’s leaders, who initiated the trial and wrote its diatribe, crave the limelight of the off-Gaza theater that will stage the fight they picked. Yet instead of becoming a courtroom drama’s heroes, as they clearly hope, they will emerge from this clash as an operatic farce’s fools. ISRAEL COULD have avoided the trial, which according to this court’s rules has to be agreeable to its defendant. The Israeli decision is wise. Unlike what many assume, this court is not automatically anti-Israeli.