South Africa Joins Anti-US Axis: WSJ

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: The Wall Street Journal

25 Mar 2024 03:52

The Wall Street Journal editorial board says Pretoria's efforts to bring "Israel" to the ICJ constitute a hostile act against a US ally.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) pointed out on Sunday that South Africa's legal case against "Israel" before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its war on the Gaza Strip and other developments are causing Congress to reexamine Washington's ties with what it called "our non-friends in Pretoria."

In an opinion piece, the newspaper's editorial board echoed a similar statement by "Israel" and considered that "South Africa held hands with Hamas in January and charged Israel with genocide at the International Court of Justice."

It said that on Thursday, the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee 36-13 with bipartisan support.

According to the piece, the bill mentioned that South Africa has a "history of siding with malign actors," which include the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, Russia, and China.

The House bill added that the ruling African National Congress party hosted three Hamas members in Pretoria last December, and said that in February 2023, South Africa hosted trilateral naval exercises with Russia and China.

It noted that the legislation was passed while South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor was in Washington as part of a progressive speaking tour.

The WSJ's editorial board said that Pandor is known for her anti-Israeli foreign policy stance, adding that the top diplomat has warned South African citizens fighting with the Israeli occupation forces or alongside them in the Gaza Strip will face arrest upon returning home.

Given these emerging alliances, American lawmakers are reviewing the benefits South Africa receives under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the piece indicated. This includes over $3 billion in duty-free exports to the United States.

The legislation, under review, requires US President Joe Biden to determine whether South Africa has allegedly engaged in activities that undermine the national security of the United States or its foreign policy interests, the piece added.

The WSJ's editorial board concluded its opinion piece by affirming that the United States needs friends around the world but considered that South Africa has been moving toward the anti-US axis for some time, adding that Pretoria's efforts to bring "Israel" to the ICJ constitute a hostile act against a US ally.

South Africa petitioned the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to impose fresh emergency measures on "Israel" over the "widespread starvation" resulting from its war on the Gaza Strip.

It is the second time Pretoria has asked the court for additional measures; its first request in February was denied.

In a ruling in mid-January that made headlines worldwide, the ICJ, based in The Hague, ordered "Israel" to do everything it could to prevent genocide during its war on Gaza. The court also ruled that "Israel" must allow aid into Gaza to ease the desperate humanitarian situation there.

South Africa has accused "Israel" of breaching the 1948 UN Genocide Convention during the ongoing war. It hailed the January judgement as a victory and said it should lead to a ceasefire.

However, in mid-February, the court rejected a request by South Africa to pressure the Israeli occupation to halt an invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah.