South African ambassador to ICJ: Israel 'more extreme' than apartheid
Israel chose not to participate in the hearings but submitted a written notice, denouncing the questions posed to the ICJ as "prejudicial" and "tendentious"
In a bold assertion before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, South Africa's ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, declared that Israel's treatment of Palestinians surpasses the apartheid regime that South Africa endured until 1994.
"As South Africans, we feel, see, hear, and feel deep within ourselves the inhumane discriminatory policies and practices of the Israeli regime, which constitute an even more extreme form of institutionalized apartheid against black people in my country," Madonsela said during his testimony.
The ICJ, comprising representatives from 52 countries, is deliberating on Israel's "occupation" of Palestinian territories, seeking a non-binding "advisory opinion" on its legal implications. Madonsela underscored that Israel's actions violated international law and amounted to settler colonialism, urging an immediate end to what he termed "Israeli apartheid."
Madonsela stressed South Africa's "special obligation" to condemn apartheid wherever it emerges and to work towards its immediate cessation.
The ambassador made a clear distinction between the ongoing proceedings and the separate "genocide" case lodged by South Africa against Israel, which previously resulted in an ICJ ruling directing Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery.
The ICJ hearings commenced on Monday with Palestinian officials presenting three hours of testimony, wherein they accused Israel of perpetuating a system of "colonialism and apartheid."
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki implored the judges to advocate for an immediate, complete, and unconditional end to the occupation.
Notably, Israel chose not to participate in the hearings but submitted a written notice, denouncing the questions posed to the ICJ as "prejudicial" and "tendentious." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the proceedings, asserting that they aimed to undermine Israel's right to self-defense against existential threats.