Israel's Genocidal Intent: South Africa's Claim at the ICJ Based on Forensic Linguistic Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29407/w1665963Abstract
This paper examines South Africa's application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 29 December 2023, which alleges Israel has breached its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The study focuses on the contention that public statements by Israeli officials demonstrate genocidal intent, specifically direct and public incitement to commit genocide as per Article III(c) of the Convention. The primary objective is to employ forensic linguistic analysis to identify and scrutinise linguistic markers indicative of dolus specialis (specific intent to destroy a protected group, in whole or in part) within these pronouncements and to discuss their implications for the ICJ case. This research utilises a qualitative content analysis methodology, with a forensic linguistic approach, applied to official and public statements by senior Israeli officials (including the Prime Minister, President, and Defence Minister) made between October 2023 and April 2024. Data are drawn from South Africa's ICJ application, reports from human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, and verified transcripts. The analysis identifies key linguistic patterns, including dehumanisation (e.g., "human animals"), collective attribution of responsibility (e.g., "an entire nation out there that is responsible"), and symbolic, potentially annihilatory references (e.g., the invocation of 'Amalek'). The findings suggest these statements exhibit characteristics consistent with the actus reus of incitement and contribute to inferring mens rea for genocide. The paper concludes that forensic linguistic analysis reveals systematic discursive strategies in official Israeli rhetoric that are pertinent to establishing genocidal intent under international law, thereby providing a linguistic evidential basis for South Africa’s claims at the ICJ
Keywords:
Genocide, Forensic Linguistics, International Court of Justice, Israel, PalestineDownloads
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