South Africa’s Foreign Minister Complains of Israeli Intelligence Threats Over UN Court Case

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Complains of Israeli Intelligence Threats Over UN Court Case

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said threats against her and her family on social media were made by Israeli intelligence, South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper reported.

This comes amid the African country’s case at the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the Jewish state of genocide against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.

“I felt that [it would] be better if we had extra security. But what I’m more concerned about is my family, because in some of the social media messages my children are mentioned and so on, but this is par for the course. The Israeli agents, the intelligence services, [this] is how they behave, and they seek to intimidate you, so we must not be intimidated. There is a cause that is under way,” Pandor told reporters following South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s annual address to the nation.

The foreign minister asked Police Minister Bheki Hamilton Cele to increase security for her and her family following the threats on social media. The diplomat added that in the coming months, South African lawyers will work with her office and the Department of Justice to prepare for the next round of proceedings at the ICJ.

“We can’t stand back now. We must be with them [the people of Palestine]. And I think one of the things we must not allow is a failure of courage. It’s extremely important that we continue with this. We talked to the South African people; they understand why it is we have taken up this moral course,” the minister said.

South Africa filed a complaint against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on December 29. The South African side asked the court to take precautionary measures to “protect the Palestinian population from further grave and irreparable violations of its rights under the Genocide Convention” and to ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention.

On January 26, in response to South Africa’s case of genocide in Gaza, the ICJ issued interim measures ordering Israel to take urgent measures to prevent acts of genocide and to ensure the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Gaza Strip. However, the Court did not order an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza.