SAWID reflections on the ICJ ruling

SAWID holds that South Africa’s case before the ICJ is rooted in Ubuntu, in the compassion and courage that it requires to take into account the needs and well-being of others.

On the 26 January 2023, the International Court of Justice ruled that there exists in South Africa’s charge, plausible condition for a case of genocide against Israel and imminent danger to the people of Palestine. The  provisional measures the ICJ invoked to address this, notably that Israel has to report back to the ICJ within 30days on the  actions it has taken to end the  threats it has imposed on Palestinians in respect of access to  water, electricity, food, shelter and the provision of wellbeing  and its actions to stop the incitements to genocide involving office-bearers within the Israeli government and the Israeli Defence Force and the wider Israeli  society.  It also called for the release of ALL hostages.

SAWID congratulates South African activists who through humanitarian assistance, public and popular education and protest exert continuous and consistent action for a just peace for the People of Palestine, the legal team representing South Africa at the ICJ, the Hon. Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and the President of South Africa, for their joint efforts to ensure that Israel faced the highest court within the systems of the United Nations.

SAWID believes that if Israel complies with the measures set down by the court, the people of Palestine would  receive immediate humanitarian assistance proportionate to their need; their suffering would be alleviated and the deliberate targeting of children  stopped.

As an initiative rooted in dialogue, SAWID sees the case against Israel as successful in that it provides a space for political processes to emerge that could give hope to the efforts to  build a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis. We commit to supporting and acting within our means to promote the following:

1. A full Ceasefire in Palestine.
2. Sustained activism in the adjudication of the charges of Genocide against  Israel before the ICJ.
3. ALL hostages, those held by Hamas and those inside Israeli jails, are released unconditionally.
4. ALL children are  returned to their extended families.
5. Countries complicit in selling arms to Israel that are being used in support of Israel’s  genocidal intent  are held accountable through the exercise of prosecutions,  both nationally and internationally.
6. There is the full participation of ALL genders, and especially of Palestinian women,both nationally and internationally , in  initiatives directed at  seeking political solutions to the conflict
7. EVERY effort is made in the course of these activities, to promote  human security and a just peace.