THE South African government has not been transparent about calls to close the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.
However, it has reiterated its commitment to using all legally available means to pressure the state of Israel to adhere to its obligations under international law and to put an end to the violence in the Middle East.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 43 736 Palestinians and wounded 103 380, with South Africa being one of the first countries to demand a ceasefire, and Israel accounts for the warfare on the unarmed civilians.
Many countries have praised the efforts to end what has been called “ethnic cleansing". However, some organisations are calling for the government to implement a trade embargo against Israel, similar to the measures taken against Apartheid South Africa.
On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told the Sunday Independent that the government will continue to advocate for action from the international community in response to ongoing human rights violations and the genocidal actions being committed by the state of Israel.
Magwenya did not respond when asked twice if the government was considering taking more decisive action, such as declaring a trade embargo against Israel due to its violations of the Geneva Convention, including the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.
He also did not address whether the government would reconsider its trade relations with Israel and halt the assurance of delivery of goods and economic support that benefit the state of Israel.
South Africa remains Israel’s largest coal supplier and other essential goods supplier despite parliament’s decision last November to pass a motion in favour of suspending diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv.
Magwenya shied away from responding to whether South Africa was prepared to take all necessary measures to stop the genocide, even if it meant facing economic repercussions to protect the Palestinians.
The Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA) in South Africa, a movement advocating for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, stated that it is aware of potential pressure from powerful nations that may prevent the country from taking more decisive action against Israel.
“We will continue to advocate for action from the international community to do the same concerning adopting appropriate responses to ongoing human rights violations and against the genocidal actions that are being committed by the state of Israel.
“We feel that the talk left has to become the talk of the left where we sanction Israel and expel the embassy from South Africa … In that way, hold them accountable for the genocide occurring in broad daylight.
“We are not happy that the government has moved that way; we have tried to set up a meeting with the trade and industry department in the past month and a half, and we are also looking to push through the anti-apartheid bill in parliament calling for sanctions against the Israel apartheid state.
“As part of our lobbying campaigns, we continue highlighting all the genocide and atrocities committed by the Israeli government in Palestine and the rest of the Middle East,” the organisation said.
The movement also decried the hostility some media houses were demonstrating towards those who were speaking against the genocide in Lebanon.
On a more positive note, PSA acknowledged the South African government's efforts in bringing Israel before the International Court of Justice, but it stated that more action was necessary.
The organisation raised concerns about some of the usually outspoken local Western-funded organisations in the country that have suddenly become silent on the genocide waged against Palestine.
“We question these organisations that have a dialogue on democracy but deliberately fail to condemn the genocide acts by Israel,” said the PSA.
The International Relations Department's spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, said the government's decision to invoke international law and international humanitarian law was decisive.
He said the ICJ was a judicial organ of the United Nations whose role was to settle, per international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised United Nations organs and specialised agencies.
“The question, therefore, is how the United Nations Security Council treats the judgments of its principal organ.
“South Africa does not engage in the practice of taking unilateral actions. Acting in such a manner would go against our belief that the United Nations is the primary organisation that must enforce an international law-based system.
“If the actions of the State of Israel are confirmed to be in breach of international law, supported by third-party states, maybe within the bounds of ‘aiding and abetting’ unlawful conduct and internationally wrongful actions by the Government of Israel.
“While there may not be political and moral shifts in the strategic stance of the UN and the global community, there are binding obligations stemming from the international legal prohibitions against Apartheid that the UN and the international community would have to respect,” Phiri said.
In a report published on Thursday, the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices accused the country of “using starvation as a method of war”, resulting in “mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions” for Palestinians.
The report also pointed out that despite repeated UN appeals as well as binding orders from the International Court of Justice and UN Security Council Resolutions, Israel continued to inflict “collective punishment” on the Palestinian population.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za