In a landmark ruling on Friday, the International Court of Justice ordered that Israel must take action to protect human life in Gaza, siding with South Africa after it accused Israel of committing genocide in the territory — while stopping short of demanding a ceasefire.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Don’t have an account? Create an account
South Africa accused Israel of genocide on Dec. 29, three months after a Hamas attack killed 1,200 people and took many more hostage. Israel responded by launching a war on Hamas in Gaza which, at the time of the ICJ filing, had killed more than 23,000 people, according to Hamas-run authorities.
The case, which has garnered widespread support in the Global South, represents a move by President Cyril Ramaphosa to reclaim the ethical authority that South Africa gained after Nelson Mandela became president and then lost Jacob Zuma’s decade in power, which was marred by corruption. According to political analysts. . .
“Some told us to mind our own business,” Ramaphosa said in his remarks after the ruling. “Others said it wasn’t our place. And yet, this is our place, like other people who know all too well the pain of dispossession, discrimination, and state violence.
With Ramaphosa’s African National Congress facing the prospect of losing its majority in this year’s elections, the Gaza issue is at the center of what his party hopes will be his administration’s legacy. South Africa’s stance against Israel is the latest in a series of outspoken positions Ramaphosa has taken on foreign policy, even as his government has struggled with domestic issues such as a crippling power crisis.
According to Sanusha Naidu, an independent foreign policy analyst, after years of squandering its position in the global order, the ICJ case represents a “moral victory” for South Africa. “History will look back on it as the moment that sets a precedent in foreign law and a precedent in foreign relations,” she said.
Get the latest headlines and columns.
By subscribing, you agree to the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
A welcome email is on the way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder.
The next issue of The Winnipeg Sun’s Daily Headline News will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered a challenge with their registration. Double-check
The issue unified the ANC, which had been divided in recent years, and helped unite the party around Ramaphosa. The fate of Israel and the rest of the Palestinian people has been a particularly sensitive factor in the country since South Africa’s white supremacist apartheid government was established in 1948. , the same year the State of Israel was established, and the two developed strong economic ties early on.
The ANC, the black liberation party that in later years would take up arms against the government, recognized a counterpart in the Palestinian cause. Since the war began on Oct. 7, South African critics of Israel have drawn parallels between the killing of civilians in Gaza and the violence of South Africa’s own apartheid regime.
The South African delegation led by the youngest minister in Ramaphosa’s cabinet, Ronald Lamola, 40, delivered the opening speech to the court. In it, he describes how the decades-long conflict intensified and why urgent intervention was needed.
“The foreign network has now noted in wonderful detail the atrocities of what is happening in the Gaza Strip,” Lamola told Bloomberg before the ruling was issued. “We, who have denounced the propaganda of the State of Israel under the pretext of hunting down Hamas. “
Read more: UN calls on Israel to protect Gazans and ceasefire
Israel has denied any aim of genocide and has called the South African case “absurd defamation. “It retains its right of self-defense against Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US. Despite mounting foreign pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the war will continue until Hamas is eliminated and all hostages are released.
According to Sydney Mufamadi, Mandela’s former security minister and now Ramaphosa’s envoy to conflict zones, South Africa’s recognition of its own dark history has given it “moral authority” in matters of foreign law, adding to Israel’s intervention in Gaza.
After more than four decades of repressive white minority rule, the country negotiated a nonviolent transition to democracy in 1994 with the election of Mandela. His conciliatory technique with the outgoing regime was credited with avoiding the types of violence that later took hold in other former colonial territories.
Partly because of this legacy, Mufamadi noted that South Africa has taken the view that warring parties will have to be open to dialogue. “We don’t know of any confrontation that doesn’t reach the negotiating table,” he said.
At the same time, the ICJ decision is likely to further polarize an increasingly fragmented global order. Dozens of countries have aligned themselves with South Africa’s bid to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, while Western nations including the US, UK, Germany and France continue to side with Israel.
For many South Africans, the country’s outspoken defense of the Palestinians is a source of national pride. Sithembile Mbete, a political analyst, called the ICJ case “consolidated” a global reckoning that was already underway.
“The majority of the world’s states, judging by the decisions of the UN General Assembly,” he said, “support South Africa’s position on this issue. South Africa does not deviate from the accepted foreign line.
(Bloomberg) — In South Africa, the case also helped bring the ANC together at the most difficult time in its history. After being forcibly propelled through its commitment to a “better life for all,” the party’s reputation has eroded during the previous government. President Zuma, who presided over the weakening of key state institutions.
Zuma has yet to be charged with alleged corruption, and friends of the former leader accused of looting around R500 billion from state coffers have also been held accountable. As a result of Zuma’s protection, the ANC suffered significant losses in the last election, although it retained a majority. control.
When Ramaphosa, Zuma’s former deputy, took office in 2017, his first task was to address the corruption and malfeasance that had grown under his predecessor.
In recent years, Ramaphosa has tried to position himself as a voice of justice and ethical clarity in foreign affairs. He lobbied the World Trade Organization to provide greater access to vaccines against the Covid-19 pandemic and spearheaded an initiative to end the Russia-Ukraine war. , and led the pace of expansion of the BRICS economic bloc by inviting six countries, including primary oil companies and producers, to join.
While such moves have been criticised as political expediency – or as Ramaphosa’s way of diverting attention from domestic politics – they have also made South Africa the voice of the global South.
Read more: El Al stops road to South Africa after ICJ Israel case
Despite his global ambitions, Ramaphosa will have to rely on envoys in the coming months as he campaigns for re-election. After 30 years in power, the ANC is more vulnerable than ever, with some polls indicating that the party will lose its majority and be forced to govern through a coalition or leave power. Concerns about sluggish economic growth, problems with state-owned enterprises and a lack of confidence in power are top considerations for voters, who are unlikely to praise Ramaphosa’s efforts abroad as long as his quality of government continues to deteriorate.
Within the party, however, Ramaphosa’s crusade has earned him what he lacked in the past.
“He’s shown that he has much sharper instincts than you might think,” Mbete said.
“Whatever happens with the election,” he added, “he will have laid the groundwork to continue to play an outside role. “
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, AT M4W 3L4
© 2024 Winnipeg Sun, a department of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution or transmission is strictly prohibited.
This uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads) and allows us to analyze our traffic. Learn more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.