US won’t interfere in SA case against Israel, embassy says

The US embassy has adopted a neutral position on SA’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after reports that 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 Congress to press SA to drop its legal proceedings 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 action and threatening it could lead to a suspension of US trade relations.

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, according to the report. Israeli diplomats were reportedly instructed to push legislation against SA at 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, spokesperson for the embassy in SA Rubani Trimiew said 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 … We have the privilege

… of being joined in our case by a number of countries.”

He said that while some countries thought the case amounted to “nothingness … a no-consequence case”, many others had seen its importance.

“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 be a return of the hostages. We are standing firm on that position. We have not seen any reason we should stop.”

He said those who wanted to ask SA to halt its case would have to approach it, adding that the government would want to hear their reasons.

Pressure on SA has taken shape in the US Congress. In February, a bipartisan bill was submitted calling for a full review of that country’s bilateral relationship with SA after the ICJ ruling last year found it was plausible Israel had committed acts of genocide in Gaza.

If the bill is enacted, the US president has 30 days to certify to Congress a determination on whether SA has undermined US national security or foreign policy interests.

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.

Trimiew said that 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.