Madonsela stressed that his country's experience with the apartheid regime motivates it to defend Palestine (Anatolia)
Yesterday, Friday, South Africa's ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, appealed to all countries to testify in the case his country filed before the International Court of Justice in order to hold Israel accountable for the crime of genocide it is committing in the Gaza Strip.
The South African diplomat said - in an interview with Anadolu Agency - that his country expects, at the end of the case, that the International Court of Justice will declare that Israel’s continued occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal and must end.
He added that the matter will then be referred to the United Nations General Assembly, to move forward on how to implement the end of apartheid in the Palestinian territories, guided by court decisions.
The ambassador invited the states parties to the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide to attend the hearings at the International Court of Justice, and to present their views along with the evidence available to them, to show the court that Israel committed the crime of genocide.
He explained that if the court reaches this conclusion, we expect Israel to be punished appropriately.
He continued that over the past 140 days, the world has been watching with horror the continuing attacks on Gaza day after day, stressing the brutality and violence of the Israeli military operation against Gaza, and the violation of international law - including orders issued by the International Court of Justice - is the clearest indication that Israel considers It is unrestrained in its actions against the Palestinians.
The apartheid experience
Madonsela explained his country's motives for filing this lawsuit against Israel, saying that South Africa suffered oppression and pain under the apartheid regime, so it is very important for it to contribute to preventing others from suffering because of a similar regime.
He considered that what Israel is committing in the occupied Palestinian territories is worse than what his country experienced under the apartheid regime.
Accordingly, according to Madonsela, South Africa considered that filing this lawsuit against Israel in the International Court of Justice was its duty towards its people and the international community, to ensure that Israel was held accountable for its actions, especially since the evidence was sufficient to convict it.
On February 19, hearings began at the International Court of Justice that will continue until the 26th of the same month, with the participation of more than 50 countries to present arguments regarding Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Among those countries are Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, the Emirates, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, in addition to the United States, Britain, Canada, Russia and China.
Source: Anadolu Agency