Source Image: The Times of Israel
South Africa – Earlier this year, South Africa achieved a historic milestone by bringing a lawsuit against Apartheid Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICJ), solidifying its position as a leading advocate for peace, justice, and human rights on the global stage. Furthermore, it affirmed accountability for Israel’s genocidal actions, their multiple crimes against Palestinians and Western complicity.
While a majority of citizens, who have been at the forefront of advocating for Palestinian liberation and an end to the genocide, take pride in South Africa’s bold stance against another Apartheid regime, there are a few critics within the country.
Their argument stems from the belief that the resources and time allocated for this international legal action could have been better utilised to address pressing domestic challenges, such as load shedding, unemployment, and crime.
These valid concerns demand urgent attention, especially considering communities in various provinces are enduring extended periods without water. However, it is vital to acknowledge that amidst these domestic issues, Palestinian civilians, including children, continue to face violence and death at the hands of Israeli forces.
In response to such criticism, Ali Komape from Africa4Palestine emphasised the African ethos inherently rejects indifference to people’s suffering and pain. The concept of not caring for those in need, whether at home or abroad, is foreign to Africans.
The visceral impact of Palestinians live-streaming the Israeli bombardment, starvation, and unrestrained violence compelled South Africa to take action. The legal team’s journey to the Hague was driven by a refusal to remain passive bystanders in the face of genocide.
“The most fundamental thing about South African and other African societies is our intimate community, living amongst each other. It has never happened in our history of humanity where an African society says no, we don’t care about others because we simply have our problems.”
For many South Africans, Apartheid may feel like a distant chapter. Regrettably, our collective memory is fleeting as we grapple with the enduring scars it inflicted on our nation.
While we rightly honour our heroes for their pivotal role in ending Apartheid, it’s crucial not to overlook the significant contribution of the global community. Komape urges us to recall, despite the various domestic challenges faced by other nations worldwide, they steadfastly stood by South Africa during that critical period.
“We must remember that South Africans in particular got massive international support not only from the African brothers and sisters but from the global community that said, we cannot stand and watch when people have been persecuted.”
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BDS Israel Apartheid Week #March4Palestine
In the period from March 1 to March 31, Israel Apartheid Week is set to unfold this year, aiming to garner global support for the liberation of Palestine from the unlawful grip of Israeli settler-colonialism and occupation.
Distinguished from previous campaigns, this year’s initiative takes on a unique significance due to the ongoing atrocities of violence, starvation, and genocide occurring in Gaza, as well as escalated Israeli militaryaggression in other Palestinian regions like East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Komape emphasises, this 20-year-old campaign adopts a comprehensive approach involving all segments of society to raise awareness and solidarity with the suffering and plight of the Palestinians.
Despite months of collective efforts by global supporters and organisations to advocate for justice, there is a continued call for active participation in anything related to the Palestinian cause, whether marches, social media sharing, or public discourse.
“If you think of yourself as one unit, one isolated unit from the rest, there’s not really much you can do. But if you think of yourself as one in many hundreds, thousands and millions of people in the world … Then you will know that we are doing something and going somewhere.”
