“[Speaker Johnson] said that if the ICC is allowed to threaten Israel's leaders, then we know that America will be next. Our response is: Of course!" Pandor exclaimed.
  • noisefree@lemmy.worldEnglish
    107·
    5 months ago

    Setting aside (but stating) my stance that Israel’s policy of collective punishment against innocent Palestinian civilians is completely wrong and thus unconditional support from the US government for Israeli actions is also wrong - South Africa isn’t a good faith actor here.

    What was South Africa’s official position last summer, as a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and thus a nation obligated to arrest those with an ICC arrest warrant that step foot in their territory, about honoring their obligation to execute an arrest on the ICC warrant issued for Putin for war crimes should he step foot in their territory? It almost seems like they’re trying to distract from something or are maybe working towards mutual goals with some other entity (or entities) behind the scenes… Hmm.

      • noisefree@lemmy.worldEnglish
        51·
        5 months ago

        I’m aware of how it turned out, but, for the sake of clarity, I was speaking about a month prior to that outcome where the President of South Africa made it clear that he would now allow Putin to be arrested in the event that Putin chose to attend in person. Assuming his statements were straight forward, I even get the logical underpinnings of what he was saying here - it just seems an odd contrast for the SA government to turn around and champion the ICC months later. It’s hard to take a country that recently publicly pragmatized away the need to uphold the legitimacy of ICC authority seriously when they’re now using the ICC as a threat. Another country would be better to lead the charge here on behalf of the ICC.

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
          41·
          5 months ago

          South Africa also failed to arrest Omar Al Bashir, who is charged with genocide by the ICC.

          It was very clear from the beginning that South Africa would not only be breaking international law by allowing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to fly out of a military base but would be going against its own courts.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    2·
    5 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor affirmed US House Speaker Mike Johnson’s prediction that the United States would be next if the International Criminal Court (ICC) is allowed to prosecute Israeli leadership, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported on Friday.

    Pandor’s comments were addressed to an audience at a mosque in Cape Town, South Africa, MEMRI noted.

    In the MEMRI video, the South African minister donned a black and white checkered keffiyeh and stood in front of a Palestinian flag.

    During a news conference last month, Johnson told reporters that “if the ICC is allowed to threaten Israel’s leader, we know that America will be next.”

    Speaking to the press in Tel Aviv, US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) echoed Johnson’s warning.

    Pandor noted that a group of 140 international lawyers are currently working on a class action suit against non-Israelis, including South Africans, who have been serving in Israel’s military.

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