Independent think-tank Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra) senior researcher Na'eem Jeenah argued on Tuesday that South Africa’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel was not a sudden action, following as it did more than a decade of incremental escalation in tensions between South Africa and Israel.

Jeenah was presenting the paper ‘Democratic South Africa’s Relations with Palestine and Israel’, where he noted that the South African government’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian issue had come under much scrutiny – and, in some cases, severe condemnation – from pro-Israeli lobby groups, as well as the Israeli embassy.

Last year South Africa announced that it had applied to the ICJ to rule that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip constituted genocide.

“…in reality, the ICJ case was not a sudden action; it followed more than a decade of incremental escalation in tensions between South Africa and Israel. It is true, however, that the three-month period before 29 December 2023 saw frenetic civil society and government activity in South Africa on international relations matters, particularly regarding the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflagration,” he explained.

He highlighted that in 1994, the new, democratic South African government inherited a set of international relations that it retained with the view that it served South Africa better to engage with different States than to isolate them.

He added that recognising and acting on decades-old ties between the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the South African government then also initiated ties with the State of Palestine.

Jeenah noted that in the three decades since the ANC came to power its diplomatic and trade relations with Israel and Palestine have not remained constant, with changes driven by several different sets of considerations.

He highlighted that the deteriorating relations between South Africa and Israel occurred since South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, and explained that the government was trying to maintain good relations with Israel, while also developing formal relations with the State of Palestine.

Jeenah noted that the South African government also tried to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians.

“…however, those attempts failed, resulting in South Africa then attempting to foster reconciliation and unity between Palestinian political factions. South Africa has been well-placed for the latter role since it has the respect of all Palestinian political factions, and the two major ones – Hamas and Fatah – have official party-to-party links with the ANC,” he explained.

He said the ICJ case has already catapulted South Africa back onto the global stage and garnered significant support for South Africa’s foreign policy position – from supportive States and from a broad section of the global public.

He explained that South Africa’s action at the ICJ, and “its generally uncompromising position on Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza since October 2023”, also suggest a deliberate refocusing of South Africa’s foreign policy to one that seeks to revive the Mandela dictum that the country’s foreign policy should be guided by “the light” of human rights.