South African President Cyril Ramaphosa invoked his country’s apartheid history to call for a two-state solution in a speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, with the war between Israel and Hamas remaining a focal point.
“The violence being suffered by the Palestinian people is a tragic continuation of the apartheid that Israel has perpetrated against the Palestinian people for more than half a century,” President Ramaphosa said.
“We South Africans know what apartheid is like. We experienced apartheid. We suffered and died under apartheid. We will not sit idly by and watch apartheid be perpetrated against others,” he added.
It’s been 11 months since the Hamas attack that left 1,200 people dead and hostages taken. President Ramaphosa said South Africa condemned the attack.
In response, President Ramaphosa said Israel has embarked on an act of collective punishment in its attacks on the people of Gaza and that their suffering continues unabated. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold hearings to hear the parties’ views on the legal consequences of Israel’s “occupation” of Palestinian territory and will ultimately issue a non-binding legal opinion. The Hague, Netherlands, 19 February 2024. (Credit: REUTERS/PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW)
“We must end the suffering of the Palestinian people. We are required to uphold the principles of the UN Charter and to consistently and fully uphold the fundamental principles of international law, which cannot be applied selectively,” Ramaphosa said. “No country is more equal than another.”
South Africa’s International Court of Justice Claim against Israel
President Ramaphosa recalled that South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice in December last year, demanding a complete ceasefire and accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
“We did so on the basis of our obligations as a state party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crime,” he said.
President Ramaphosa said South Africa welcomed the support it had received from many countries in its case at the International Court of Justice and said the court’s order revealed “highly likely genocide against the people of Gaza”.
President Ramaphosa added that the International Court of Justice had also made it clear that states must act to prevent Israeli genocide and to ensure they are not parties to the Genocide Convention by aiding and abetting the commission of genocide.
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“We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages,” he said. “The only lasting solution is the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
