Sa’ar: ICJ president tapped to be Lebanon PM called Israel ‘enemy,’ proving court’s bias

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says that comments earlier today by Nawaf Salam, the newly appointed prime minister of Lebanon, who served as the president of the International Court of Justice, prove that the ICJ is biased against Israel and its decisions must be invalidated.

“The president of the ICJ, just appointed prime minister of Lebanon, has called Israel an enemy,” says Sa’ar. “This is the president of a court presiding over a case related to Israel — someone who is supposed to remain impartial and neutral. Yet, he refers to Israel as an enemy.”

In his first speech as premier earlier today, Salam — referring to Israel — said he would work to “impose the complete withdrawal of the enemy from the last occupied inch of our land.”

“How can such a person be expected to judge Israel fairly?” asks Sa’ar. “President Salam’s decisions regarding Israel must be disqualified immediately. Otherwise, they might as well take the ‘J’ out of the ICJ.”

Salam, who resigned from the court today, began his role as ICJ president in February 2024 and has served as a member since 2018. He has been presiding over South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide, and took part in rulings, including, in January 2024, saying there is “plausibility” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and in July 2024 calling Israel’s presence in the West Bank “illegal.”