On Friday, an Israeli Channel 13 show host ejected Likud party Knesset member Nassim Vaturi from the studio after he insisted on his stance advocating for the "burning of Gaza," a statement that was presented to the International Court of Justice as evidence of legislators calling for "genocidal crimes" in the enclave.
South Africa had previously submitted Vaturi's statement, in which he called for "burning Gaza," as evidence of advocacy for "genocidal crimes" in Gaza.
This statement by Vaturi was made in a tweet posted last November on the "X" platform, which caused significant uproar.
Vaturi attempted to justify his stance, prompting the program host to ask him to leave. The host told him, "Thank you very much for coming to our studio, and thank you for the damage you have inflicted on the State of Israel."
Last Wednesday, Vaturi reaffirmed his position during an interview with the Israeli religious radio station Kol Barama. At the time, Vaturi told the station, "I stand by what I said."
Personal Statements
Yesterday, Israel's defense team at the International Court of Justice attempted to argue that these statements do not represent the government or its decisions.
South Africa bolstered its allegations against Tel Aviv with tangible evidence through photos and video clips presented in the first hearing of the "genocide" case filed against Israel before the International Justice the day before yesterday.
On December 29 last year, South Africa initiated legal action at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing "genocidal crimes" in the Gaza Strip, which has been undergoing a brutal war for over three months.
The first proceedings of the trial started the day before yesterday as part of this case, where the judges heard South Africa's arguments, while yesterday, they listened to Israel's defense.
Israel has refuted the accusations of committing "genocidal crimes" against Palestinians, claiming that its actions in Gaza are in "self-defense."
The International Court of Justice is expected to determine its next steps in the coming days in the lawsuit brought by South Africa against Israel.
