UN elects new ICJ judges with past involvement in anti-Israel legal proceedings

The UN General Assembly and Security Council elected five new ICJ judges on Wednesday, including Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan and Phoebe Okowa of Kenya, both of whom have been involved in legal proceedings concerning Israel. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the elections, citing concerns over impartiality.

The UN General Assembly and Security Council elected five new judges to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, for nine-year terms beginning February 6, 2027. The judges elected are Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan, Dapo Akande of the UK, François Alabrune of France, Phoebe Okowa of Kenya, and Rena Lee of Singapore. Two of the judges, Hmoud and Okowa, are already serving on the court after being elected in 2025 to fill vacant seats. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon criticized the elections, questioning the impartiality of judges with past involvement in legal proceedings against Israel. Danon specifically cited Hmoud's accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing against Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, and Okowa's role as part of Namibia's legal team in advisory proceedings on Israeli policies in the Palestinian territories. Danon described the election as another example of the UN's structural bias against Israel. The article notes that South Africa's genocide case against Israel, filed in December 2023, is expected to continue for several more years.