South Africa urged other countries to help end the genocide attacks in the Middle East. Picture: Mahmud Hams/AFP
THE International Relations & Cooperation Ministry has said the end to the ongoing bombardment and killing of civilians in Palestine and other Arab countries by the “apartheid” Israel depended on the joint efforts of all member states in the United Nations (UN).
This comes after the Israeli government intensified its military attacks against the occupied territory, killing women and men, children, and the elderly, destroying millions of homes, with Lebanon now being at the receiving end of the Israeli military aggression, wiping out thousands of people from their families.
“Since the recent escalation in October 2023, South Africa has consistently called for a negotiated settlement and an immediate ceasefire.
“The solution to the dangerous situation in the Middle East must involve the efforts of all parties in the conflict, along with the UN and other regional organisations,” the ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said.
The ministry accused Israel of ignoring all international calls for a ceasefire and refused to accept any “peaceful” intervention from the international community.
“As a State Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, South Africa approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023 to seek an order preventing Israel from committing genocide against the people of Gaza.
“The court granted an interim order directing Israel to take specific actions to prevent acts covered by Article II of the Genocide Convention. However, Israel has ignored these provisional measures and continues to violate international law,” explained Phiri.
Asked whether the government would take much bolder steps and among other options, consider closing the Israel embassy, the ministry said that the government had consistently demonstrated leadership on the Israel-Palestine conflict within the limits of its capabilities and powers as a member of the UN.
He added that It was important to note that other states, especially those serving as permanent members of the UN Security Council, also had an obligation to protect the rights of all citizens, including the people of Palestine.
South Africa has been one of the most vocal critics of the Israeli regime.
In January, it took Israel to the ICJ on allegations of genocide in Gaza, which drew applause from many former colonised states in the Global South.
The country also called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” and a “holocaust”, with President Cyril Ramaphosa noting in some of his addresses that "South Africa is appalled by the cruel tragedy that is underway in Gaza.“
Even though the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to expel the Israeli ambassador, the president has refused to do so, sparking suspicions of fear of hostility by the US government, which is Israel's number one ally and has been directly providing weapons to Israel.
Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, Martin Jansen, attributed this to several things.
He said that one was that the country wanted to play the role of mediator between Israel and the Palestinian leadership, something it had done since its own internal mediation experience, which led to its first democratic elections in 1994.
Another was that the former liberation movement, ANC, had been moving further to the right and that there were now important business and economic ties, including the mining industry, which prevented the government from applying more concrete measures against Israel.
“If South Africa were to adopt BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) measures against Israel, it would be a big move politically,” says Jansen.
“Because of South Africa’s well-known history all over the world, it could lead by example, first in Africa at the African Union and then at the United Nations. This is where South Africa’s strength lies, beyond economic and political power. So hopefully we can force the government to do exactly that, and hopefully, it will have a domino effect,” he told The New Arab.
In January, the ICJ ruled that Israel must do everything in its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and ensure UN-mandated investigators have “unimpeded access” to the enclave.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the court’s interim ruling as “outrageous” and said Israel would continue its “just war”.
A month after the ICJ ruling, rights group Amnesty International said Israel had “failed to take the bare minimum steps” to comply with the court order.
In May, the ICJ ordered Israel to immediately halt its offensive in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, a ruling Israel also ignored, and they ignored the legally binding ruling, knowing that the court has no means to enforce them.
South Africa has since returned several times to the ICJ, arguing that Gaza’s desperate humanitarian situation demands new emergency measures.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za