South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomes ICJ decision

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which said on Friday that Israel must take all necessary measures to prevent any act of genocide in its Gaza offensive. This preliminary order was seen as an exposure of alleged crimes against Palestinians.

In a statement on Friday, President Ramaphosa said the ICJ’s decision represented a step forward in the quest for justice. Despite criticism that South Africa should focus on its own affairs, he insisted on his country’s essential role as a witness to the suffering of dispossession, discrimination and state violence.

The ICJ did not impose a ceasefire, a demand supported by South Africa, but President Ramaphosa stressed the importance of a pause in hostilities. He called for negotiations to establish a permanent solution based on two-state coexistence, comparing Israeli actions in Gaza to the history of apartheid in South Africa.

“We firmly believe that following this judgment, more concerted efforts should be made towards a ceasefire and negotiations should be initiated to achieve a permanent solution based on the coexistence of two States. To enable Israel and Palestine to live side by side as independent states”said Mr Ramaphosa.

Rights groups in Israel and abroad, as well as Palestinians, have long accused Israel of establishing a system of apartheid in the West Bank. This occupation, in place for 56 years, is denounced as a means of maintaining Jewish hegemony from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea.