The US embassy has adopted a neutral position on SA’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after reports the Israeli government was lobbying its political leaders to exert pressure on Pretoria to drop the charge.
Last week US news site Axios reported communication had been intercepted in which Israel’s foreign ministry was lobbying members of the US Congress to press SA to drop its legal proceedings in the ICJ over the war in Gaza.
According to the report, Israeli diplomats were instructed to ask members of Congress to issue public statements condemning SA’s actions against Israel and threaten it could lead to suspending US trade relations with SA.
The report reads the Israeli diplomats were also instructed to ask members of Congress and Jewish organisations in the US to reach out directly to SA diplomats in the US and make it clear SA would pay a heavy price if it did not change its policy.
Israeli diplomats were allegedly instructed to push legislation against SA on state and federal levels.
The Israeli foreign ministry asked its diplomats to lobby for hearings about SA’s policy towards Israel in state legislatures and make their diplomatic activity regarding SA as public as possible in the US press and on social media.
Asked whether the embassy had any knowledge of the communication, all spokesperson for the embassy in SA Rubani Trimiew would say was that as a sovereign country, “SA makes its own decisions about how to engage with Israel and the international community”.
He said the ICJ played a vital role in the peaceful settlement of disputes.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said no government had approached SA to drop its case at the ICJ.
“Our case proceeds. Preparations are under way to present … the memorial, which I will have an opportunity to go through before it is submitted to the court. We have the privilege, the honour really, of being joined in our case by a number of countries. A number of other countries have raised their hands to say they want to be a part of the case SA has brought,” he said.
He said while some countries thought the case amounted to “nothingness … a no consequence case”, many countries have seen the importance of the case to deal with the genocide in Gaza.
We have not seen any reason why we should stop and do away with our case, and we have not been asked to do so.
— President Cyril Ramaphosa
“We are headstrong. We are determined to go ahead with this case because our case as SA is about living up to what we stand for: the protection of human rights and support for Palestinians to have their own state and self-determination and to live in peace side-by-side with the people of Israel.
“But also … to continue arguing the genocide must stop, there must be a ceasefire and there must a return of the hostages. We are standing firm on that position. We have not seen any reason we should stop and do away with our case, and we have not been asked to do so.”
He said those who want to ask SA to halt its case would have to approach it, adding government would want to hear their reasons.
“I cannot talk much about something that has not happened. We are proceeding with our case, and we are going to file at the time we have been given to file by,” he said.
Undermined security
Pressure on SA has taken shape in the US Congress. In February, a bipartisan bill was submitted to Congress calling for a full review of the country’s bilateral relationship with SA after the ICJ ruling last year that found it plausible Israel has committed acts of genocide in Gaza.
The bill reads that no later than 30 days after its enactment, the US president must certify to Congress a determination whether SA has undermined US national security or foreign policy interests.
It called on President Joe Biden to submit a report to Congress with a comprehensive review of the US-SA relationship.
Ramaphosa has been negotiating for SA to receive an extension of its multibillion dollar trade agreement with the US.
The decision to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act falls on Congress, which has a membership generally partial to Israel’s plight.
Trimiew said while he could not speak about what Congress may do, Washington had a strong relationship with SA based on the priorities of the American and SA people.
“Our mutually beneficial economic relationship continues to grow. We remain dedicated to deepening our co-operation and advancing our shared interests with SA, including expanding economic prosperity, combating the climate crisis and ensuring democracy delivers. We are committed to working with the government of the day,” he said.
Minister of trade & industry Parks Tau and international relations minister Ronald Lamola have visited the US since the government of national unity took office.
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