Israel Lobbying US Congress to Pressure South Africa to Drop ICJ Genocide Case – Report

Palestine Chronicle Staff

11 Sep 2024

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South Africa has asked the Court to order urgent measures in the Gaza Strip. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

Israel once again is attempting to circumvent international law by appealing to the U.S.

Originally published in The Palestine Chronicle.

“We are asking you to immediately work with lawmakers on the federal and state level, with governors and Jewish organizations to put pressure on South Africa to change its policy towards Israel …”

Israel is lobbying members of the US Congress to pressure South Africa to drop its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Tel Aviv of genocide in its ongoing war on Gaza, according to the Axios news website.

South Africa filed a case against Israel in late December arguing that it had violated its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The country has until October 28 to provide the UN court with its arguments “for continuing the case against Israel,” the report said.

Citing an Israeli foreign ministry cable obtained by Axios, the report said that according to Israeli officials, the Israeli foreign ministry “started a diplomatic campaign in recent weeks to press South Africa not to push forward with the case at the ICJ.

“The U.S. Congress is a main tool in the effort.”

Threats to Suspend Relations

On Monday, the Israeli foreign ministry “sent a classified cable” to the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, and to all Israeli consulates in the U.S.” about South Africa’s ICJ case, the report stated.

“We are asking you to immediately work with lawmakers on the federal and state level, with governors and Jewish organizations to put pressure on South Africa to change its policy towards Israel and to make clear that continuing their current actions like supporting Hamas and pushing anti-Israeli moves in international courts will come with a heavy price,” the cable read.

The Axios report said that Israeli diplomats “were instructed to ask members of Congress to issue public statements condemning South Africa’s actions against Israel and threaten that it could lead to suspending U.S. trade relations with South Africa.”

This, continued the report, was “unlikely to happen” as the US would want to “maintain its relationship with South Africa in order to counter the influence of Russia and China.”

‘Heavy Price’

The diplomats were also instructed, “to ask members of Congress and Jewish organizations in the U.S. to reach out directly to South African diplomats in the U.S. and make clear South Africa would pay a heavy price if it doesn’t change its policy.”

In addition, they were instructed, “to pursue was pushing legislation against South Africa on the state and federal levels ‘that even if they won’t materialize, presenting them and talking about them will be important’ in trying to influence South African policy.”

The diplomats were asked to “lobby for hearings about South Africa’s policy towards Israel in state legislatures.”

Israeli officials also said that Israel hopes the new coalition government in South Africa “will take a different approach to Israel and the war in Gaza,” the report stated.

The Israeli foreign ministry declined to comment to Axios and the South African embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment, it said.

‘Protect Palestinians’ Rights’ – South Africa

In the recent national elections in May, the ruling ANC party lost the majority it had held in government since the first democratic elections held in 1994.

In July, the country’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola however said that the country will continue to leverage global institutions to defend Palestinian rights and ensure the equitable application of international law for all.

“South Africa will continue to act within global institutions to protect the rights of Palestinians in Gaza and ensure the fair application of international law for all,” he said in his first public discussion on foreign policy in Cape Town since his appointment.

“Notably, South Africa will continue to do everything within its power to preserve the existence of the Palestinian people as a group, to end all acts of apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people and to walk with them towards the realisation of their collective right to self-determination and this informed our application to the International Court of Justice,” he added.

Lamola pointed out that South Africa “also led the referral” by six states of the situation in Palestine to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“We will continue preparing and managing the ICJ case against Israel and providing observations on the situation in Palestine before the ICC,” he pledged.

ICJ Order

In January, the ICJ ordered Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in its ongoing war in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 40,988 Palestinians have been killed, and 94,825 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.

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