Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., blasted the International Court of Justice over its order to Israel on Friday to halt military operations in Rafah, saying the United Nations' top court "can go to hell."
Further, Graham said the ICJ's ruling "will and should be ignored by Israel."
In its ruling, the ICJ, which has no enforcement wing, stopped short of calling for a full cease-fire but demanded that Israel halt military operations in the southern Gaza city.
"As far as I'm concerned, the ICJ can go to hell," Graham said in a post on X. "The ICJ's ruling that Israel should stop operations that are necessary to destroy four battalions of Hamas killers and terrorists — who use Palestinians as human shields — is ridiculous. This will and should be ignored by Israel."
Russia ignored the ICJ's order in 2022 to stop its assault on Ukraine.
Israel itself brushed off the then-impending ruling on Thursday.
"No power on earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza," government spokesperson Avi Hyman said in a press briefing.
Graham wasn't the lone congressional Republican to condemn the ICJ's ruling, the result of a case brought to the court by South Africa last week.
"Our ally Israel is fighting in Rafah to free the hostages and destroy Hamas' last stronghold. They must complete this mission," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said in a post to X. "The ICJ is blinded by anti-Israel bias. Biden must commit to vetoing any UN Security Council resolution that would enforce this outrageous decision."
One expert joined Scalise and Graham in calling out The Hague and the sponsoring country, South Africa, for what they say Friday’s ruling is steeped in — antisemitism.
"The ICJ's ruling is a stark reminder of how South Africa, which has become a hub for extremist activities across the African continent, continues to embrace antisemitic ideologies and support state-sponsored terror," Charles Asher Small, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, said in a statement.
"Maintaining close ties with and acting on behalf of Iran, Qatar and Hamas, South Africa has become a leading voice for terror. By bringing this case against Israel and in favor of Hamas, South Africa further positions itself as a bad actor on the global stage," Small added.
Graham agreed.
"It is long past time to stand up to these so-called international justice organizations associated with the UN. Their anti-Israel bias is overwhelming," he wrote.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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