Their nine-year terms will run from February 6, 2027, through February 2036.
By Shula Rosen
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the election of five judges to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), questioning whether jurists who previously challenged Israel’s policies could impartially adjudicate cases involving the country.
The UN General Assembly and Security Council elected the judges on November 3, 2026, following several rounds of voting at UN headquarters in New York.
Their nine-year terms will run from February 6, 2027, through February 2036.
Those elected were Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan, Phoebe Okowa of Kenya, Dapo Akande of the United Kingdom, François Alabrune of France and Rena Lee of Singapore.
Hmoud and Okowa were re-elected to the court, while concerns raised by Israeli officials and legal experts focused on previous statements and legal activities involving Israel.
Hmoud accused Israel of “war crimes” in an October 2023 UN speech and previously helped develop Jordan’s legal arguments in proceedings concerning Israeli policies.
His involvement included the ICJ’s 2004 advisory opinion on Israel’s West Bank barrier and the 2024 advisory proceedings examining the legal consequences of Israeli policies in the territories.
Okowa previously represented Namibia as legal counsel in ICJ proceedings challenging the legality of Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Akande, a British international law scholar, has also faced criticism over academic publications and legal opinions questioning the scope of Israel’s right to self-defense in asymmetric conflicts.
“The résumés of the newly elected judges to the court in The Hague are troubling and raise questions,” Danon said.
“Will a judge who incorrectly determined, one month after the October 7 massacre, that Israel was committing genocide be able to impartially handle the case against it? Will a judge who advised in legal proceedings against us act professionally and without bias in the pursuit of justice?” he added.
According to Danon, “Today’s election in the General Assembly is another example of the UN’s structural bias against the State of Israel.”
The appointments come as the ICJ handles several major proceedings, including South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel. The election forms part of the court’s regular selection process, under which five members of its 15-judge panel are elected every three years.
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