Jump to navigation

South Africa

'Genocide' court case threatens to open new geopolitical divisions

The EU stays silent amid  fears that South Africa's accusations against Israel will further damage relations between Africa and Europe

The legal tussle between Israel and South Africa over Pretoria's claims to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague that Israel is responsible for 'genocide' against the Palestinian people, threatens to open new geopolitical faultlines.

Officials in Europe are watching the case anxiously. There are concerns among some EU officials that the war in Gaza will cause further damage to geopolitical relations between Europe and Africa that have already been strained by the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Unlike Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, all of whom have rejected South Africa's assertion, the EU has remained silent on the ICJ case so far.

No Western country has declared support for South Africa's allegations against Israel. The US, a close Israel ally, has rejected them as unfounded, the UK has called them unjustified, and Germany said it 'explicitly rejects' them.

Few African states have broken ranks, although the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, whose 57 members include 26 African states, has backed South Africa's suit. Namibia has condemned its former colonial ruler Germany's decision to 'explicitly reject' the accusations of genocide.

Lawyers for the South African government, presenting the case last week, accused Israel of committing the crime of genocide in Gaza in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention. Israel has described the allegations as a 'blood libel' describing the military actions which have so far killed more than 23,000 people in Gaza as an 'act of self-defence' following the murderous attacks of Hamas on 7 October.



Related Articles

So far, so Zuma

Economic downturns, rising joblessness and a wave of strikes and protests fail to dampen the rising popularity of the new President

The standard criticism of Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma was that he was a populist, seeking the presidency mainly to protect himself against prosecution for corrupt enrichment in South Africa's...


Gauteng for Mbeki

The election of a provincial prime minister may give a foretaste of future politics

The smallest and richest of South Africa’s nine provinces seems certain to give the ruling African National Congress a solid majority at the national and provincial elections on...


Local, global or both

A coalition calling itself the Social Movement Indaba is organising mass demonstrations around the World Summit on Sustainable Development. President Thabo Mbeki and his African National Congress government...


New script in KwaZulu-Natal

Heavy-handed quashing of dissent and voter fraud is cutting support for President Zuma in his heartland province

The powerful KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) branch of the African National Congress, the governing party's largest, lifted Jacob Zuma into the ANC presidency at its 2007 and 2012 national conferences...


Mbeki the mystery

The new cabinet reveals little about the new President's political style

Now centre-stage as President, Thabo Mbeki still keeps South Africans guessing. His patchwork cabinet is dominated by ministers who served Nelson Mandela, and expanded to 29 from 26...