Since February 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been at the heart of intense debates on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. This week, more than 52 countries were invited to testify before the highest court of the UN, sparking diverse and profound reactions.
At a major hearing on February 20, South African Ambassador to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela made a bold comparison: Israel’s practices would be a form of apartheid “even more extreme” than what experienced South Africa before 1994. This strong statement underlines the urgency of putting an end to a situation perceived as a flagrant violation of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
South Africa, supported by organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, calls for an immediate, unconditional and total end to this denounced apartheid. Proposing concrete solutions, Pretoria recommends the creation of a special committee at the United Nations to monitor the territories concerned, on the model already existing for South African apartheid.
Algeria, for its part, joined the movement of condemnation, denouncing impunity as “the first law of the oppressors”. These positions taken at the ICJ draw a complex landscape where the hope of future peace is intertwined with the difficult reality of territories in conflict.
As the judges of the International Court of Justice prepare to deliver their opinion in the coming months, the world holds its breath, hoping that this verdict can outline the contours of a peaceful and just resolution. The debate continues, the quest for truth and justice persists, offering a glimmer of hope for a better future in the Middle East.