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Good afternoon. The International Court of Justice continued hearing its advisory case on Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories on Wednesday. Plus: Election deepfakes are weird and getting weirder.
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Photo: Peter Dejong / AP
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1. US defends, while France and Egypt criticize Israel’s policies at ICJ
Eleven countries, including the U.S., presented arguments today before the International Court of Justice regarding the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, dating back to the 1967 Six-Day War.
“Any movement towards Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration of Israel’s very real security needs,” said acting U.S. State Department adviser Richard C. Visek.
France’s representative called Israel’s occupation illegal and said that a two-state solution was the only way to ensure both Israel’s security and the Palestinians’ right to a state.
“One only needs to look at Israel’s vicious wholesale destruction of Gaza today, after years of imposing the medieval methods of siege and blockade, to realize the extent of Israel’s transgression,” said Egyptian foreign ministry legal counselor Jasmine Moussa.
The case, brought to the ICJ by the U.N. General Assembly in 2022, is what is known as an “advisory case.” This means that whatever opinion the court renders is, well, advisory and usually not binding. Nonetheless, the opinions “carry great legal weight and moral authority,” according to the ICJ.
By contrast, the case that South Africa brought to the court accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, for example, is a “contentious case.” Those cases involve a legal dispute between countries, and judgments are binding, though enforcement is difficult.
Related: South Africa's case against Israel is the fifth time UN genocide law has been used this way
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2. Election deepfakes are weird and getting weirder
You may have heard that 2024 is the biggest election year in history. Half — half — of the world’s population lives in countries that have already voted or will vote in elections this year.
Among the factors complicating voters’ decision-making is the growing use of AI-generated deepfakes by political campaigns.
And, let me tell you, these deepfakes are weird. A few recent and upcoming elections show just how weird:
- Former Prime Minister Imran Khan — who was ousted from his position and imprisoned for corruption — didn’t let incarceration stop him from campaigning in Pakistan’s recent elections. Khan’s party posted four deepfake videos of him addressing his supporters throughout the campaign.
And when his party declared victory, an AI version of Khan gave the acceptance speech.
- Before Indonesia’s national election last week, the Golkar party posted a video of former Indonesian president Suharto. In it, the AI-generated (and very much deceased) dictator reminded voters of the importance of the election.
- In advance of India’s upcoming elections, deepfakes of M Karunanidhi, the iconic (and dead) leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, have been used three times in six months to garner support for Karunanidhi’s son.
Several of the world’s top tech companies — including Google, Amazon, Meta, and X — have pledged to fight back against the use of AI deepfakes to deceive voters.
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3. South Korean government orders striking doctors back to work
About 7,800 medical residents and interns walked off the job this week in response to a new government policy in South Korea. If the doctors refuse to return to work, they could face legal action, said Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min at a press conference on Wednesday.
As a result of the strike, hospitals have had to turn away patients and cancel procedures.
The strike was inspired by the government’s plan to recruit more medical students to care for South Korea’s aging population.
While more doctors may sound like a good thing, the striking physicians say the government’s plan is both an untenable solution for their profession and an election-year political ploy, meant to drum up support among the public with a seemingly benign new policy.
Universities aren’t ready to handle the number of medical students the government would like trained, the protesting doctors say. They also say the government needs to address working conditions and pay before recruiting more students.
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In other news
- Nine provinces in Italy have imposed anti-smog measures — including banning the use of heavy motor vehicles during the day — to combat an especially bad period of air pollution in the region. [Associated Press]
- Speaking of having a hard time breathing, if you live in North America, you might want to place your air-purifier orders now: On Tuesday, Alberta, Canada, announced that this year’s wildfire season was already underway — 10 days earlier than usual. [National Post]
- French people should cut the amount of red meat they eat by half to improve their health and meet France’s climate goals, according to a study released Tuesday. Because this is France, the proposed guidelines also specify the amount of charcuterie adults should limit themselves to (a scant 5 ounces a week). [Le Monde, paywall]
- At least the European Union is doing its part to ensure those charcuterie boards aren’t bare: On Wednesday, a top court preserved the protected status of Halloumi, meaning only certain cheesemakers in Cyprus can make the cheese under that name. [Reuters]
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Say that again
“They’re involved in the whole production process, from brewing to bottling, packaging, a bit of advertising … and drinking,” said Christian Ehm, director of the Haus Atzgersdorf nursing home outside of Vienna. The microbrewery within the nursing home was first conceived during COVID to bring residents together and give them a sense of purpose. [Reasons to Be Cheerful]
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‘You think my lungs are like that?’
See how a group of young activists used a public art installation to draw attention to Colombia’s poor air quality.
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What we’re watching
While I’m not the hugest fan of the Oscars, I am a fan of imposing limitations on myself in order to make decisions easier.
And a list of Oscar-nominated movies is one way to decide what to see. I’m on track to see all of the films nominated for best international feature this year before the awards on March 10. One of my favorites so far has been Germany’s “The Teachers’ Lounge.”
Set in a grade school in Germany where small robberies have been taking place, “The Teachers’ Lounge” feels at once heightened and utterly natural. Maybe because the action involves weighty subjects like authority and prejudice in a mundane setting. Or maybe because the tension grew to an almost untenable pitch. Either way, this one really moves and gave me and my friend a lot to talk about after.
Have you seen any of the international films nominated for an Oscar? Any favorites? Let me know: theoverview@globalaffairs.org.
—Laura Adamczyk, staff writer
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you tomorrow.
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