Israeli officials approached American congressmen with a request to influence South Africa’s leadership. writes Axios cites a letter from the Jewish Foreign Ministry, in which Israeli diplomats urge the US Congress to threaten the African state with the termination of economic relations if it does not withdraw the lawsuit it filed against Tel Aviv at the International Court of Justice.
“We urge you to immediately begin working with federal and state legislators, governors and Jewish organizations to pressure South Africa to change its policies toward Israel and make clear that it must continue its current actions, such as supporting Hamas and promoting anti-Israel measures internationally.” The letter states that the courts will come at a high cost.
As Axios noted, the Israeli Foreign Ministry instructed its diplomats to facilitate the passage of laws in the United States that could harm South Africa. The portal’s sources claim that with the help of these measures Tel Aviv wants to achieve a change in the position of the African country towards the Jewish state.
The situation in the Middle East escalated after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, taking many civilians and soldiers hostage. In response, Tel Aviv launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip. The subsequent destruction of the Palestinian enclave, along with the increasing number of internally displaced people, has drawn condemnation from the international community, especially from Islamic countries. South Africa, in particular, accuses Israel of genocide against the Palestinians. The African Republic has filed a lawsuit against the Jewish state and the International Criminal Court, as well as the UN tribunal. Other countries, including Turkey, have subsequently joined South Africa’s statement. In January, the World Court ordered Israel to refrain from any actions that could fall within the scope of the Genocide Convention and to ensure that its soldiers do not commit acts of genocide against the Palestinians. At the same time, Israel will not stop its actions, advocating the complete destruction of Hamas.
The UN court had previously ordered Israel pay Compensation for the damage done to Palestine.
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Source: Gazeta
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.