DECADE-LONG REPORTS OF SOUTH AFRICANS SUPPORTING ISRAELI MILITARY CAMPAIGNS REMAIN UNRESOLVED

Mon 22 July 2024:

South Africa – For over a decade, there have been reports of South African citizens participating in and supporting Israeli military campaigns against Palestinians. Despite efforts to bring this issue to the attention of South African authorities, including submitting dossiers to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), no significant progress has been made in prosecuting the people involved.

However, according to Dr Ahmed Haroon Jazbhay from The Media Review Network, the latest dossier lodged with the NPA continues the 2022 South African Zionist Terrorism Corridor Probe. This dossier expands on contributions from International Human Rights Attorney Ziyaad Ebrahim Patel, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and the Media Review Network.

Dr Jazbhay mentioned that this dossier contains over a hundred pages and includes comprehensive evidence of South Africans involved in the genocide in Gaza. It also provides detailed contexts of the 2023 operations of both Palestinian and Israeli parties while focusing on the broader context of Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

“It starts by naming those involved, the soldiers and the leadership of Israel. It goes into detail regarding the context of their actions, as well as the current context of the 2023 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood as a response to 75 years of genocide, epistemicide, and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, not only in Gaza.”

Despite the government’s awareness of this information, Dr Jazbhay criticised its lack of action in enforcing laws specifically designed to address South Africans serving in foreign militaries, particularly the Israeli Occupational Forces, and participating in military activities that undermine national and international law.

He attributes this lack of political will to Zionist exceptionalism, suggesting that specific individuals, politicians, and groups consider themselves exempt from South African law.

“This all comes down to political will. Does the political leadership in the country have the willpower to implement its laws? Chief among them are the Foreign Military Assistance Act and the Protection of Constitution Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act.”

“It appears that there’s a form of Zionist exceptionalism in this country. They believe that they are an exception to the laws of this country because this is the so-called promised land, and they claim to be defending it against Hamas. They believe they have the right to go against our laws.”

“However, our laws clearly state that anyone who wants to participate in a foreign army, whether they are a dual citizen or not, needs to have permission from South African authorities. According to local authorities, no local South African has permission to serve in the IDF.”

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Pro-Zionist Parties in the Government of National Unity

Since the elections and the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Dr Jazbhay has observed that the African National Congress (ANC) has been less vocal about its support for Palestine and the Palestinian cause. He suggests that this silence is due to the overwhelming number of political parties within the GNU that hold pro-Israeli stances.

This ideological conflict regarding Palestine and Israel may be troublesome, as it could complicate the unified stance on Palestine, impact South Africa’s ongoing case at The Hague, and hinder the enforcement of laws against South Africans serving in foreign militaries.

However, Dr Jazbhay expressed relief that the ANC still holds critical ministries within the cabinet, which is crucial for continuing the fight for Palestine. This presence offers hope that despite the challenges posed by the pro-Israeli factions within the Government of National Unity, there remains a strong institutional foundation to support Palestinian causes.

“This government of national unity, which we all foresaw coming, has unfortunately thrown a spanner in the works. But on the bright side, the ANC has held on to key ministries such as State Security, the Ministry of Justice, and International Relations. These are crucial ministries that ensure that the ICJ case continues. However, there will be a lot of pushbacks from … The most overt pro-Zionist in the cabinet.”

written by Thaabit Kamaar