Johannesburg – The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) has condemned what it said was the SA government’s “appalling misuse of taxpayer funds to finance its politically motivated and baseless ICJ [International Court Of Justice] case against Israel”.
“This latest R37 million splurge comes on top of the staggering R95 million already allocated to the same legal crusade in last year’s Special Appropriation Bill – a shocking total of R132 million squandered on ideological grandstanding while South Africa teeters on the brink of collapse,” Rolene Marks, spokesperson of the SAZF, said Tuesday, (18 March 2025).
“At a time when South Africa is in the grip of an economic and social crisis – unemployment at a catastrophic 35% (60% among youth), a collapsing healthcare system, load-shedding that has crippled the economy, and 2.3 million households without proper housing – this reckless waste is indefensible.”
Marks further complained saying: “Schools are in disrepair, crime is rampant, and corruption has bled the country dry – yet instead of addressing these urgent crises, the government is funnelling desperately needed public funds into a foreign legal campaign designed to delegitimise Israel’s right to defend itself against those who openly call for its destruction”.
Evidence submitted by South Africa to the ICJ claims “acts and omissions” by Israel “are genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group”.
Marks said “importantly,” the ICJ’s preliminary ruling did not determine that South Africa’s claim of genocide was plausible.
“It merely stated that Palestinians have a plausible right to be protected from genocide and that South Africa has the right to present its case,” the SAZF spokesperson said.
“The ANC-led government has deliberately misrepresented this ruling as a victory, using it to justify its ongoing legal assault on Israel while ignoring the reality that Hamas are the true perpetrators of genocide – responsible for the October 7 massacre against Israel, in which 1 200 Israelis were murdered, over 250 hostages were taken, and thousands of rockets were fired at civilians.
“Rather than recovering looted billions or addressing the suffering of its own citizens, the South African government prioritises global theatrics, aligning itself with terror groups over the urgent needs of its people.
“South Africa is burning.
“It is time for its leaders to stop using foreign distractions as a smokescreen for their failures and fulfil their fundamental duty: to uplift and protect their own people.”
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have so far killed more than 47 500 Palestinians including women and children.
At least 111 618 others were injured.
In the latest overnight strike, Iraeli attacks across Gaza killed more than 350 Palestinians
RELATED: South Africa Condemns Israeli Airstrikes On Gaza, Breaching 2-Month Ceasefire – The Bulrushes
In November last year, the UN-backed International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, together with a former Hamas commander, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
