SA’S ICJ CASE AGAINST ISRAEL GETS NO ATTENTION IN MEETING WITH TRUMP

Fri 23 May 2025:

South African President reveals ICJ case against Israel unmentioned during working lunch with Trump.

Washington D.C. – In a significant development following a working visit to the White House on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that the contentious issue of South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “did not arise during the lunch” with US President Donald Trump. This revelation came as a surprise to some observers who had anticipated it would be a central point of discussion.

During a post-lunch briefing to the media, President Ramaphosa offered insights into President Trump’s perceived stance on the ICJ matter. “We got an impression that President Trump’s approach to the ICJ is that, you know, let the process unfold but at the same time to focus on peacebuilding in the Middle East – precisely what we complimented him on”.

He further underscored South Africa’s readiness to engage in these peace efforts: “We as South Africa also want to be part of that process and we want to part of that process even between Israel and Palestine, to be able to participate in the peacebuilding process so that in the end there should be peace between Israel and its neighbouring countries.”

Reactions to Oval Office Exchange

The private lunch, however, was preceded by a publicly broadcast and notably tense exchange in the Oval Office. During this segment, President Trump confronted President Ramaphosa with allegations of a “genocide of white Afrikaners” in South Africa. Trump presented videos, including one featuring Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema singing “Shoot the Boer,” and print-outs allegedly depicting attacks on white individuals.

One such article, purportedly about “white farmers being burned,” was later identified by AFP and South African news outlets as concerning events in the Democratic Republic of Congo, not South Africa.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

President Ramaphosa, who was accompanied by a high-profile delegation including Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen (leader of the Democratic Alliance), businessman Johann Rupert, and renowned South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, maintained a composed demeanour throughout this challenging interaction.

In contrast, certain Afrikaner right-wing groups, such as the Solidarity Movement, expressed approval of President Trump’s focus on their concerns. Ernst Roets, a prominent figure on the Afrikaner right, thanked Trump for highlighting videos related to the “Shoot the Boer” song and alleged attacks, stating that South Africa’s “enormous problems have been placed on the international stage”.

Members of the South African delegation actively countered Trump’s claims during the meeting. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen refuted the idea that most white farmers were fleeing, emphasizing their desire to remain in South Africa and contribute to its prosperity. Businessman Johann Rupert contextualised the issue of violence, noting that the highest murder rates were in Cape Town’s townships, affecting predominantly black and coloured communities, and that violent crime was a widespread problem Zingiswa Losi, president of COSATU, South Africa’s largest trade union federation, informed Trump that “the problem in South Africa, it is not necessarily about race, but it is about crime”.