If South Africa’s stance on Ukraine suggested ambivalence about human rights, its application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for provisional measures to prevent acts of genocide in Palestine has placed it more firmly on the side of moral justice.
The 84-page application is a gut punch, with page after page enumerating what at the very least could be considered war crimes. And the murderous statements by Israeli politicians and influential figures are chilling. Whether they together amount to genocide, though, is for the court to decide.
It’s a gutsy move by South Africa — but not without controversy. And there’s no doubt it will put South Africa head-to-head with some of its allies. The US, for example, has already come out swinging, calling the application “meritless” and “without any basis in fact whatsoever”.
The world will be watching on Thursday and Friday as lawyers for both sides make their case. At this stage, the ICJ won’t be deciding whether genocide is actually taking place; it will primarily be making a call on whether there is a need to put the conflict on pause pending a decision that may take years.
Should South Africa succeed it will surely boost its global standing. And bringing a halt to this brutal war can only be a good thing.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.