By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Israel will ask the US Congress to put pressure on South Africa to withdraw its genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
A diplomatic cable sent from Israel’s foreign ministry to Israel’s embassy in Washington and its consulates in the US reveals these instructions.
The cable, obtained and first reported by Axios, calls on Israeli diplomats to ask US lawmakers to issue statements saying South Africa’s ICJ case could lead to a suspension of US-South Africa trade, an unlikely possibility.
“We are asking you to immediately work with lawmakers on the federal and state level, with governors and Jewish organizations to put pressure on South Africa to change its policy towards Israel and to make clear that continuing their current actions like supporting Hamas and pushing anti-Israeli moves in international courts will come with a heavy price,” read a cable from Israel’s foreign ministry to its embassy and all consulates in the US.
The Israeli diplomats were also instructed to reach out to South African diplomats in the US and tell them their country will “pay a heavy price” if it doesn’t change its policy towards Israel.
South Africa has until Oct. 28 to present to the ICJ its reasons for continuing the case against Israel over its alleged violations of the Genocide Convention during the war on Gaza.
South Africa initiated the genocide case against Israel at the ICJ last December, accusing Tel Aviv of violating the 1948 convention in its ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip – now nearly a year old – has killed nearly 41,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 94,800 others, according to local health authorities.
An ongoing blockade of the enclave has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins. Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.