‘Hypocrisy of ANC govt on Eswatini’

Sir,

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) found Israel ‘not guilty’. Thus, the happiest man at the ICJ in the Hague on January 26, 2024 was Gilad Noam, Israel’s Deputy Attorney General for International Affairs. Rather than finding Israel guilty of anything, the court simply gave Israel a gentle reminder that it must prevent genocide.

It cautioned Israel to ‘prevent and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide’.

The court did not mention the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) charter, which still calls for the killing of all Israelis, nor Hamas calls for killing every Jew in the world.

The court infuriated the Islamists by not demanding an end to the offensive.

The court implicitly recognised Israel’s right to defend its people against Hamas terrorists.

The rulings should reduce international pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly from the United Nations’ (UN) Antonio Guterres and the European Union’s (EU) Josep Borrell, both virulently biased opponents. Where the court fell short was in not suggesting actions to reduce civilian suffering.

Demanded

It should have demanded an immediate release of Israeli and foreign hostages abducted on October 7, 2023.

It should have recommended the opening of the Egyptian border and allowing Gazans to flood into Sinai, a huge, but mostly empty desert. Refugee camps could be easily constructed with all the aid required to wait out the war in relative comfort. However, it is unlikely that Hamas would comply.

Jacques Fortier Montreal, Canada