Let’s support South Africa’s case at the ICJ

Magistrates are seen after hearing South Africa’s legal team’s arguments to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in as part of South Africa’s case against Israel over the Rafah offensive, in The Hague, on May 16, 2024. South Africa accused Israel on May 16 at the top UN court of stepping up what it called a “genocide” in Gaza, urging judges to order a halt to the Israeli assault on Rafah. The ICJ heard a litany of allegations against Israel from lawyers representing Pretoria, including mass graves, torture, and deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid. Picture: Nick Gammon AFP

Magistrates are seen after hearing South Africa’s legal team’s arguments to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in as part of South Africa’s case against Israel over the Rafah offensive, in The Hague, on May 16, 2024. South Africa accused Israel on May 16 at the top UN court of stepping up what it called a “genocide” in Gaza, urging judges to order a halt to the Israeli assault on Rafah. The ICJ heard a litany of allegations against Israel from lawyers representing Pretoria, including mass graves, torture, and deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid. Picture: Nick Gammon AFP

Published May 21, 2024

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One of the important developments in the legal struggle to stop apartheid Israel’s genocide in Gaza is South Africa’s latest emergency application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Last week, South Africa launched another fresh attempt to the ICJ to immediately stop apartheid Israel’s military actions in Rafah, southern Gaza, where more than one million Palestinians have taken refuge due to apartheid Israel’s seven-month illegal onslaught and incursion on the besieged enclave.

Apartheid Israel’s regime and military rule disrupts every aspect of daily life in occupied Palestine through a complex network of repressive and military laws. Sadly, Palestinians’ entire lives, including their right to basic services like water, electricity, education and health care, are harshly held captive by apartheid Israel.

Since 1948, apartheid Israel brutally dehumanises Palestinian lives through an evil system of occupation, dispossession and displacement, settler colonialism, ruthless policies of land and home confiscations, the maintenance of a strict apartheid-style system and the systematic human rights violations against Palestinians.

South Africa’s historic and landmark legal proceedings are already worrying the apartheid Israeli regime, which is seeking help from Western allies to oppose the charges.

To this end, I encourage all conscientious individuals to support South Africa’s case at the ICJ and challenge injustices and to keep in check the centres of power and the misuse of authority, wherever it is being expressed.

MOHAMED SAEED

Pietermaritzburg