On Friday, South Africa, alongside eight other countries including the totalitarian regime of Cuba, formed the so-called “Hague Group,” with the explicit purpose of opposing Israel and preventing it from defending itself against Palestinian terrorist attacks.
The “joint inaugural statement,” which was endorsed by Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa, conspicuously lacks any representation from Arab nations or countries located in the Middle East. The statement emphasizes “our obligations to end the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine [sic] and support the realization of the inalienable right of the Palestinian People to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine.” There is no mention of Hamas or terrorism, and the only reference to civilians pertains to Palestinian civilians.
South Africa has been a long-time critic of Israel, most recently by filing charges of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice. In this regard, post-apartheid South Africa mirrors its apartheid-era predecessor, which also had contentious relationships with Israel in international diplomatic forums. Like the former apartheid government, post-apartheid South Africa has aligned itself with rogue regimes that operate outside the international consensus, swapping alliances with right-wing nations for left-wing dictatorships.
Former President Donald Trump adopted a strong position against the misuse of international legal bodies to target democratic nations. He reinstated an executive order that applies sanctions to members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should they attempt to investigate U.S. soldiers or military personnel from allied nations.
However, Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are blocking efforts to impose broader sanctions against the ICC.
{Matzav.com}