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GAZA GENOCIDE: SOUTH AFRICA’S APPLICATION TO THE ICJ IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT GIWUSA URGES FOR MORE PRESSURE TO BE PUT ON THE ROGUE STATE

MEDIA ALERT

30 December 2023

GIWUSA welcomes the South African government’s application to the International Court of Justice

(ICJ) against the apartheid state of Israel for its genocide against the people of Palestine, mentioning

in particular the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals schools and mosques, its targeted assassination

of doctors and journalists in its ongoing extermination of the people of Gaza. However, we are calling

for more pressure to be applied, by all legal and legitimate means to end the genocide, the occupation

and the system of apartheid which Israel is imposing on Palestinians – including supporting armed

resistance.

In a bold move, the South African government filed an application on the 28th of December 2023 to

the ICJ, the highest judicial body of the UN. The application makes several references to the urgency

and gravity of the matter.

That said, it is important to note that the ICJ is a civil tribunal that hears disputes between countries

and is largely an ineffectual tool of world empires. It is up to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to

enforce decisions by the ICJ and the USA has veto power over the UNSC.

We therefore call on the government of South Africa to go much further and to heed the urgent call

from civil society to meet the following demands:

To cut all diplomatic ties with the genocidal state of Israel

To begin the process of prosecuting South African citizens who participate in the Israeli Military(IDF)

To impose a trade embargo and sanctions on Israel with immediate effect

Urgent sustainable ceasefire

Active and material support for armed resistance to support Palestinians’ right to resist against

Israeli military occupation and settler terrorism

We further call on all people of good conscience boycott all cultural, academic, sports and trade with

Israel and to continue organising marches and solidarity events.

The people of Palestine have every right to exist, and as the saying goes “existence is resistance”.Issued by GIWUSA

For comment call:

Mametlwe Sebei – 081 368 0706