Why South Africa Has Taken Israel to International Court on Allegations of Genocide

New York: On allegations that it committed genocide in Gaza, South Africa has brought Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This court battle is seen as an effort by South Africa to maintain its historical commitment to the Palestinian cause, boost local support ahead of impending elections, and enhance its international status.

A group of seasoned litigators and specialists in international law have been formed by South Africa’s legal team.

The ICJ has received an 84-page document accusing Israel of genocidal activities in Gaza. The team makes the case for immediate action to end Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which have been going on since the horrific assaults on October 7th, when at least 1,200 Israelis, the majority of whom were civilians, were killed by the Palestinian organization Hamas.

Cathleen Powell, an international law professor at the University of Cape Town, was reported by news agency AFP as saying, “They are an A-team.” “They combine people with expertise in international law with people who are particularly good at arguing cases before court.”

What the Past Told Us
South Africa’s own anti-apartheid fight is the source of its support for Palestine. The governing party of South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC), has long sympathized with the Palestinian cause and has drawn comparisons between the Palestinians’ battle and its own campaign against apartheid.

The connection between Palestinian liberation and South Africa’s freedom was emphasized by Nelson Mandela. In a well-known statement, Mr. Mandela said that “the freedom of the Palestinians is necessary for South Africa to be complete”.

Reasons for Politics
Although the ANC is clearly committed to the Palestinian cause, some observers speculate that there may be more going on here than first seems. Allegations of corruption and dwindling popularity at home present challenges for the ANC, which views the ICJ case as a chance to reclaim credibility and divert attention from internal issues.

The African National Congress (ANC) seeks to uphold its fundamental principles and show its dedication to justice by adopting a principled stance on the global scene.

According to news agency AFP, Sara Gon of the Institute of Race Relations think tank said, “The ANC sees the ICJ case as a sheen of legitimacy, a basis to regain the prominence it has lost over the last 30 years because of its increasingly unprincipled governance.”

At-Home Reactions
Reactions to the decision have been divided inside South Africa. Opinions differ in this country with a strong Jewish community and an even greater Muslim population.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “The people of Palestine are being bombed, they are being killed.” “We were duty-bound to stand up and support the Palestinians.”

But it has been denounced by a number of Christian conservative majority leaders as well as the Jewish Board of Deputies in South Africa, who called the action a “media-seeking stunt” and even claimed that anti-Semitism was on the rise.

It’s unclear how this would affect the majority of conservative Christians.

Israel’s Reaction
Israel strongly denies the accusations; Eylon Levy, a spokesperson for the administration, called the case a “absurd blood libel.”

“This claim is utterly ridiculous and ludicrous,” said Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as reported by AFP. “We will be in the International Court of Justice and we will present proudly our case of using self defence… under international humanitarian law.”

The Israeli president continued by saying that the armed forces of the nation were “doing its utmost under extremely complicated circumstances on the ground to make sure that there will be no unintended consequences and no civilian casualties”.

Global Repercussions
The lawsuit that South Africa is pursuing against Israel has wider global ramifications. Being a part of BRICS, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the country sees the organization as a check on the dominance of the West in the international system.

But there’s also a chance that the lawsuit would sour diplomatic relationships with nations like India that are closer to Israel.