On January 11, a rally took place in front of the Supreme Court of the Western Cape Province, South Africa, to express support for the South African delegation appearing before the International Court of Justice. The move was aimed at calling on Israel to end its murderous campaign. Legal experts, academics, lawyers and pro-Palestine organizations participated in the solidarity demonstration.
According to Seeham Samaai, lawyer and director of the Women’s Legal Center, the goal of this request to the International Court of Justice is to obtain a ceasefire and prove that Israel is engaging in acts of genocide. The International Court of Justice is made up of fifteen judges from different countries, and both South Africa and Israel have appointed additional judges to serve on the court. The participants in the demonstration therefore hope that the requested remedies will be granted in the coming month, so that the main procedure can continue.
In Cape Town’s Bo Kaap neighborhood, residents expressed their support for the Palestinian people by painting murals and hoisting Palestinian flags in front of their homes. A resident, Osman, explains that this solidarity can be explained by South Africa’s past with apartheid. Having experienced the difficulties of that time and having fought to free their country from oppression, they naturally feel concerned by the struggle led by the Palestinian people against a similar enemy: Israeli apartheid.
Human rights organizations have long accused Israel of committing the crime of apartheid, according to international conventions and the Rome Statute. The crime of apartheid includes three main elements: the intention to maintain a system of domination of one racial group over another, the systematic oppression of one racial group by another, and the commission of inhumane acts, such as as defined, in a widespread or systematic manner, in accordance with these policies.
These events in South Africa demonstrate growing international support for the Palestinian cause and awareness of the parallels between South African and Israeli apartheid. They also show that international justice is actively sought to uphold human rights and put an end to violence and oppression.