Google Search is the world's most popular internet search engine, which processes billions of queries per day.
There are two ways to rank high on Google Search. The first is organically, in which websites should adhere to the best practices and SEO. The second method is to pay Google a sum of money to have their content higher up as ads.
This time, the Israeli government is reportedly found paying Google to manipulate search results.
By purchasing ad spot, the government allegedly tried to rank their websites higher up to spread propaganda, and to also curb results that accuse it for committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
As the country stands trial at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), held at The Hague, Netherlands, an advertising saying South Africa’s claim is “meaningless” appears at the top of the page when a search using the keywords "icj israel case."
This result appears on Google Search for users using a browser without ad blocker.
And when using the same query but on a different browser, another ad said that "SA's case against Israel - Stand with Us" shows prominently on top of the search results, with the URL directing users to a Israeli government website.
The ad includes “Israel response to Hague ICJ," with subheadings like the “October 7th: The Invasion" and "The North Border," as well as survivor testimonies and resources.
"The malicious blood libel advanced by South Africa seeks to slander the State of Israel," another ad says.
Blood libel is a reference to antisemitic lies originating in the Middle Ages where Jews murdered Christian boys to use their blood for religious rituals.
There are also video results from YouTube, which say things like "Israel accuses South Africa of distorting the truth in ICJ" and "Germany weighs in on South Africa's 'genocide' case against Israel at ICJ."
Again, the same search made on a browser with an ad-blocker does not show Israel’s ads but puts the videos mentioned above at the top of the search results.
In other words, the trial suggests that an Israel-sponsored ad is trying to call the ongoing genocide hearing against it "meaningless."
Google said that it has reviewed the ad against its policies but did not take any action.
The company pointed to the Google Ads sensitive event policy, which bans "ads that potentially profit from or exploit a sensitive event with significant social, cultural, or political impact."
The policy explicitly notes that due to the war in Ukraine, Google was pausing ads related to Russian state-funded media, despite saying nothing about the Israel-Palestine war.
This isn't the first time Israel has circulated sponsored ads online, and probably won't be its last.
The genocide case against Israel is unlikely to reach a resolution any time soon, but South Africa is seeking an immediate cessation of Israel’s siege.
The ad was first noted to users on the internet through X, when a user posted a screenshot of their Google search for "icj."
It's worth noting that not a single Western country supports South Africa's case, despite evidence showing Israel's atrocities against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the blockaded enclave.
Germany even said that it would support Israel during the ICJ trial and "intervene" as a third party in the hearing.
"German government firmly and explicitly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made against Israel before the International Court of Justice. This accusation has no basis whatsoever," spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.
He argued that Germany bears special responsibility for Israel, especially because of the Nazi genocide of Jews during World War II by Adolf Hitler.
The spokesperson said that his government shall continue its support to Israel to "defend" itself against Hamas.
Supporters on other hand, include Türkiye, Malaysia, Jordan, Venezuela, the Maldives, Colombia, Bolivia and the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), which consists of 57 states, support South Africa's move.
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These began on Friday, when the Israeli government began defending itself at the World Court, and tried to dismiss accusations of genocide but failed to provide any convincing arguments or evidence.
South Africa, which brought the case, accused the Israeli authorities of perpetrating genocide against Palestinians in Gaza during their military assault.
In an 84-page submission, the lawyers requested provisional measures from the court to protect the Palestinian people, by urging the judges to order Israel to "immediately suspend its military operations" in Gaza.
The lawyers also alleged that Israel "has engaged in, is engaging in, and risks further engaging in genocidal acts."
"Mothers, fathers, children, siblings, grandparents, aunts, cousins are often all killed together. This killing is nothing short of destruction of Palestinian life. It is inflicted deliberately. No one is spared. Not even newborn babies," said South African lawyer Hassim.
"The scale of destruction in Gaza, the targeting of family homes and civilians, the war being a war on children, all make clear that genocidal intent is both understood and has been put into practice. The articulated intent is the destruction of Palestinian life," said lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi.
"The violence and the destruction in Palestine and Israel did not begin on October 7, 2023. The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years," said South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the case, and vowed to continue fighting Hamas.
"This is an upside-down world — the state of Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting genocide," he said in video statement.
"The hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens."
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv said have killed around 1,200 people.
More than 20,000 have since been killed, many of whom are women and children, and more than 60,000 people are injured, according to reports from the Palestinian health authorities.
In a conflict that began on October 7th, Israel ordered over 1 million people living in the northern Gaza Strip to relocate to the south, regardless of warnings from humanitarian groups that such a large displacement would be a humanitarian disaster.
According to the United Nations., 85% of the population of Gaza's 2.3 million population is already displaced, shortage of food, clean water and also medicines, whereas 60% of the region's infrastructure is either damaged or destroyed.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has long been a firm supporter of the Palestinian cause, often linking it to its own struggle against the white-minority government, which had cooperative relations with Israel.
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