SA urged to take stronger measures against Israel in wake of genocide charges

As the world anxiously awaits the outcome of South Africa’s genocide charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice, the GOOD Party is firmly backing calls for the South African government to take further steps to force Israel to the negotiating table.

The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s legacy organizations in Cape Town have urged the South African government to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel and advocate for a package of boycott, divestment, and sanctions, similar to those that helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa.

GOOD Secretary-General, Brett Herron, has emphasised that while judgments by the ICJ are difficult to enforce, measures such as economic isolation have proven effective in the past.

Herron pointed to the successful campaign in the 1980s to isolate South Africa economically, academically, and in sports, which ultimately contributed to the downfall of the apartheid regime.

Among the measures proposed by the Archbishop Tutu IP Trust and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation is advocating for SWIFT banking sanctions against Israeli banks.

SWIFT plays a crucial role in global banking transactions, and cutting off Israel’s economic pipeline could force the country to reconsider its actions.

The urgency of taking action against Israel is underscored by the staggering number of Palestinian lives lost in recent months.

More than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed since October last year, with a disproportionate number of victims being children and women.

The UN’s Human Rights Office has highlighted the devastating impact on children in Gaza, with an average of 10 children losing a limb every day.

South Africa, while not the most powerful country in the world, has a history of using economic pressure to bring about change.

As Herron notes, “economic ‘sticks and stones’ ultimately broke apartheid’s bones while words at the UN hardly hurt the then-government at all.”

“In the face of such atrocities, it is clear that decisive action is needed,”  added Herron.

The GOOD Party stands in solidarity with efforts to hold Israel accountable and bring an end to the violence and suffering in the region.