Statement issued on the eve of the ICJ sitting to consider provisional measures in relation to South Africa’s application against Israel under the Genocide Convention.
Following the horrific events of October 7, when Hamas killed approximately 1 200 Israelis in the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, Israel has killed upwards of 30 000 Palestinians, half of these children, in Gaza – with the killing of civilians in the West Bank escalating daily.
As appalling as the Hamas-led attacks of October 7 were, and must be condemned, they do not represent the start of this conflict. They were preceded by 76 years of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.
We in South Africa well know, that despite immense historical oppression and suffering , there is a path to peace, to reconciliation, and to shared futures – through accountability, pragmatism and a constitutional, inclusive democracy. We also know that a true path to peace requires leadership and vision.
Inclusive peace processes are neither easy nor comfortable – but they are necessary to end generations of violence driven by occupation and the demand for freedom. The current leadership of Israel appears unequal to this task. Any genuine path to peace will require the removal of impediments to peace and to viable statehood for the Palestinian people. To this end the illegal settlements in the West Bank must be removed.
We call on all Israelis and Palestinians who seek peace to come together to work towards a free Palestinian state and Israel’s right to exist within secure borders.