Adila Hassim, who represents South Africa against Israel, accuses the other side of deliberately committing genocide in Gaza by not distinguishing between Palestinian civilians and Hamas.
Johan Ripås is SVT’s correspondent in Africa. He says that South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, had close ties with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) during the apartheid era.
– Israel, for its part, collaborated with the apartheid regime during the 70s and 80s. South Africa is very loyal to its history in its foreign policy, he says and continues:
– I think the main hope is to put an end to the fighting. But one should also not forget that it is an election year in South Africa and the ANC is a party on the ropes. A question like this makes the party appear strong and state-supporting.
Strong reactions in Israel
The legal process has provoked strong reactions in Israel – for example, the country’s president Isaac Herzog has called the accusations “disgusting” and “absurd”.
Lior Haiat, representative of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, calls the trial “one of the greatest displays of hypocrisy in history”
Samir Abu Eid, SVT’s correspondent on the ground in Jerusalem, says that the Palestinians have thanked South Africa for giving them a voice on the international stage.
– Many in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, believe that it is Hamas that should be brought to justice.
They can take several years
At the same time, it can take several years for a verdict to arrive.
– But South Africa has also requested provisional measures, so there may be some kind of decision that the hostilities must end already in a few weeks.
Tomorrow, Israel will present its defense during the trial.
Both Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas have also been accused of war crimes during the current conflict. However, war crimes are not something that is addressed by the International Court of Justice. The court’s decision is also not binding.