South Africa mentioned on Tuesday that Israel's insurance policies in the direction of the Palestinians had been “a extra excessive type of apartheid”, invoking its personal historical past of alleged racial discrimination so as to add world strain on Israel on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice in The Hague. .
The court docket, the United Nations' highest judicial physique, is listening to six days of arguments over Israel's “occupation, settlement and annexation” of Palestinian territories, together with the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem. The UN Normal Meeting requested the court docket to overview the legality of Israeli insurance policies within the Palestinian territories greater than a 12 months in the past, earlier than Israel's conflict towards Hamas in Gaza.
Within the proceedings, which started on Monday, greater than 50 international locations had been anticipated to argue earlier than the bench of 15 judges throughout the next week, a stage of participation by no means seen earlier than within the court docket. The court docket is predicted to subject an advisory opinion that will not be binding. Israel mentioned it didn’t take part within the oral arguments, saying the questions earlier than the court docket had been biased.
South Africa's ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusi Madonsela, addressed the judges on Tuesday morning, weeks after her nation argued to the court docket that Israel is committing genocide towards Palestinians in Gaza. On this case, the court docket ordered Israel, which has denied the accusations, to take motion to stop the genocide in Gaza, however it has not but been mentioned if it occurred.
Mr Madonsela, recalling South Africa's “painful expertise” of many years of apartheid and discrimination, drew parallels with what he known as Israel's colonization of the Palestinian territories it took over in 1967. Citing the separate court docket methods , land zoning guidelines, roads and housing rights for Palestinians. , mentioned Israel had put in place a “two-tiered system of legal guidelines, guidelines and companies” that benefited Jewish settlers whereas “denying the rights of Palestinians.”
Israel has lengthy denied that it operates an apartheid system, calling such allegations an insult.
South Africans are seeing “an much more excessive type of apartheid that was institutionalized towards Black individuals in my nation,” Mr Madonsela mentioned. He mentioned that South Africa had a particular obligation to name apartheid practices the place they happen. He additionally known as on Israel to dismantle the separation wall between Israel and the West Financial institution, which the court docket had ordered to be eliminated in 2004 and continues to be standing.
America is predicted to make arguments on Wednesday.
