SA right to stick to its principles in the face of US pressure

By Mathatha Tsedu     The Donald Trump administration has produced at least six reasons why several executive orders have been signed sanctioning South Africa, says the writer. Stock photo.  Image: 123RF/luzitanija

The embassy staff in Washington DC can function without a head, as is the case with the US embassy in Tshwane

Can the relationship between South Africa and the US be mended immediately without this country putting its tail between its legs and withdrawing the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice? That’s the question that confronts President Cyril Ramaphosa as he grapples with the south-bound relations with the world’s biggest economy and bully.

Forget Ebrahim Rasool and his undiplomatic stating of the truth, he merely exacerbated an already bad situation. The Donald Trump administration has produced at least six reasons why several executive orders have been signed sanctioning South Africa.

They range from “horrible things being done” to so-called Afrikaners, and alleged “land grabs” against them; the case South Africa brought against Israel at the Hague; ordering the moving of the Taiwanese Liaison Office from Tshwane; and close relations with both China and Iran. While all these are for various reasons important for the US, the greatest of them all is love, as the good book says, unconditional and unwavering love the US has for the Zionist state of Israel.

The action by the upstart “shit hole”, as Trump described this country, to dare take his Israel to the International Court of Justice, and not only accuse it of genocide but get the court to agree, is inexcusable. As a result, his friend Bibi Netanyahu cannot stomp around the world without first checking if he won’t be arrested. Israeli soldiers who participated in the genocide have found themselves having to scuttle back home to avoid arrest while holidaying in South America. All because of South Africa.

I agree with the prime minister of Barbados, the eloquent Mia Amor Mottley: “Principle only means something when it is inconvenient to stand by it.” Our support for Palestine was and remains correct. And we cannot even think of changing our position

Republican lobbyists have been approaching South Africans with connections in high places to counsel for the withdrawal of the case, saying that would halt all the rhetoric and actions against this country. In other words, do a Volodymyr Zelenskyy — after standing his ground in a face-off with Trump at the White House, Ukraine’s president was forced a few days later to apologise.

And so we find ourselves in the same situation as Hamas. Trump’s The actions by the US will hurt our economy. The question that will linger in many minds is: is it worth it that we put ourselves in this position because we support the Palestinian cause? Is the price too high? When is the price for a principle too high for a nation to pay?

Hamas, faced with the everyday killings of Palestinians, decided to precipitate a crisis with the October 7, 2023 attack. The aim was to force Israel to the negotiating table, where it would trade hostages for a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from Palestine. It took the devastation of Gaza and more than 70,000 deaths for Israel to agree to a process that would lead to their withdrawal.

The agreement, brokered by US, Egypt and Qatar, was, however, not intended to be observed in full by Israel, hence the stalling as the first phase ended and the second phase was due to kick in. The first phase led to a ceasefire that saw people returning to their demolished homes. And Hamas emerged in full bloom, clad in camouflage uniforms and real weapons, to say ‘we are still here’.

And as Hamas insisted on the Doha agreement being observed in full by Israel, the Jewish state closed all aid from getting to a people surviving on hand-outs. Starvation looms. And on Monday, “the gates of hell” that were promised by  Trump and Israeli leaders opened, and 400 people were killed in just one day.

What to do, if you are Hamas? I agree with the prime minister of Barbados, the eloquent Mia Amor Mottley: “Principle only means something when it is inconvenient to stand by it.” Our support for Palestine was and remains correct. And we cannot even think of changing our position.

So how soon our relations with the US can be mended: if we’re not going to dump the Palestinians and the ICJ case, as we should not, it follows that things are going to get worse. Thus, there’s no hurry to replace Rasool. The embassy staff in Washington DC can function without a head, as is the case with the US embassy in Tshwane

The appointment, when it is made, has to be made at a strategic moment when it will produce the desired lowering of the tone and temperature. Now is not the time.

• Tsedu is a former editor of the Sunday Times and former chair of Sanef

https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/opinion-and-analysis/opinion/2025-03-23-sa-right-to-stick-to-its-principles-in-the-face-of-us-pressure/