Ugandan judge Julia Sebutinde, the vice-president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has publicly stated that God is “counting on me to stand on the side of Israel” and warned that the “end times” are unfolding in the Middle East.
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Speaking on 10 August at the Watoto Church in Uganda, Sebutinde, 71, said she felt divinely compelled in her judicial role and emphasized her belief that global events in Gaza are signs of biblical prophecy. “I have a very strong conviction that we are in the end times,” she said. “The signs are being shown in the Middle East. I want to be on the right side of history.”
Sebutinde has previously drawn controversy as the sole dissenting voice in several ICJ rulings against Israel. Early last year, she was the only judge on a 17-member panel to reject all six measures adopted by the court, which found it “plausible” that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. In July 2024, she again dissented as the sole judge on a 15-member panel that deemed Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories “unlawful.”
Her dissenting opinion of 19 July 2024 later faced allegations of plagiarism. A study produced by an anonymous Palestinian researcher, cited in Norman Finkelstein’s book Gaza Gravediggers, claimed that “at least 32 percent of Sebutinde’s dissent was plagiarised” from pro-Israeli commentators, lawyers, and sources including Wikipedia and BBC News. Sebutinde declined to comment at the time.
Reflecting on her position, Sebutinde expressed disappointment that her home government distanced itself from her views. “The whole world was against Israel, including my country,” she said. A Ugandan government spokesperson had clarified in January 2024: “The position taken by Judge Sebutinde is her own individual and independent opinion, and does not in any way reflect the position of the government of the Republic of Uganda.”
Sebutinde recounted a personal moment of conviction during her campaign to become ICJ vice-president. “God called me a ‘coward’ and told me to ‘wake up’ when I was lying in bed worrying about criticism over my stance on Israel,” she said. She added that her appointment as ICJ vice-president earlier this year reinforced her belief that she is part of a larger divine plan.
“The situation in Gaza signals the end times predicted in the Bible,” she said. “I am humbled that God has allowed me to be part of the last days.”
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