Israel in the dock
All praise to South Africa for standing tall and fast at a moment when civility is at threat in the international arena. Pretoria’s decision to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel accusing it of genocide is on the spot. It is a courageous step and vindicates the sagacity of the leadership as it too has come a long way at the hands of apartheid and discrimination at home for decades. Moreover, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stance against Tel Aviv is strongly rooted in the factual evidence of Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group”. It is an open and shut case that must derive not only condemnation from the international jurists, but also sanction the Jewish state for unprecedented crimes against humanity.
While South Africa and Israel as members of the world court are bound by the decision, it will be a landmark development in, at least, putting the usurper in the spot. Eleven weeks of non-stop bombardment on civilian infrastructure in the Gaza enclave and death of more than 20,000 people, including children, simply confirms that major powers, regional countries, human rights groups and the United Nations are nothing but spectators, and have not been able to stop Israel from a choreographed extermination of a nation. Moreover, the besieged enclave is deprived of humanitarian and medical supplies, and the watered-down resolution of UN Security Council going on to appease the Zions has made a laughing stock of ethics and the very purpose of international organisations.
South Africa has shown the way as to how to stand up for a cause. It shut down the Israeli embassy and suspended all diplomatic relations until a ceasefire was agreed. Putting Israel in the dock is clearly a very strategic and well thought-out legal recourse to hold it accountable. The onus is now squarely on the learned jury to ensure that International Law is for humanity and not for jaundiced state-centrism.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2023.
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