Watan-Criticism has escalated against the Palestinian Authority after South Africa filed a lawsuit against the occupation in front of the highest international court, the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The African state asserted in the lawsuit that the Israeli occupation committed crimes of genocide, causing panic within Israeli decision-making circles.
This is considered “the most significant international move so far against Israeli crimes in Gaza.”
The court has scheduled hearings for January 11th and 12th of this year.
Subsequently, several countries announced their support for South Africa’s lawsuit against the Israeli occupation.
Escalating Criticisms Against the Palestinian Authority
This move has sparked escalating criticisms against the Palestinian Authority, with one of the most logical questions being raised: “Is South Africa closer to Gaza than Ramallah?”
The Palestinian Authority maintains a silent stance towards international legal actions, reminiscent of its position on the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in 2018.
Previously, the Authority had approached the International Court of Justice to file a complaint against the United States, arguing that Jerusalem is occupied land and should not be dealt with contrary to that. Later court documents revealed that the Palestinian Authority withdrew the complaint and ceased pursuing the United States in international forums.
Throughout three months of massacres targeting Palestinians in Gaza, the Authority has not declared its support for the legal action initiated by South Africa against the occupation.
Statement from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement issued a statement in which they questioned, “Why hasn’t the Palestinian Authority issued an urgent public appeal to the world to support the legal action against Israel on charges of genocide?”
The BDS movement is one of the largest and most active global organizations supporting the Palestinian people. In their statement, they remarked, “South Africa triumphs for Palestine, holding the Israeli enemy accountable in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.”
BDS described this move as a historic and glorious precedent that the Palestinian people will not forget. They emphasized that the legal action initiated by South Africa has garnered support from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the governments of Malaysia, Turkey, Jordan, and Bolivia.
The lawsuit calls on the court to issue an emergency order for an immediate and permanent cessation of firing and displacement, as well as the unrestricted delivery of aid to halt the genocide in Gaza.
What is the story behind the Palestinian Authority’s lawsuit?
Egyptian journalist and former Al Jazeera presenter, Hafez Al-Mirazi, commented, saying, “The recent precedent for the Palestinian Authority itself, not any other Arab government, relates to the case it brought before the International Court of Justice against the U.S. government when it implemented Trump’s decision in December 2017, effectively moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, the eve of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel.”
يجب ان نتوقف عن مطالبة الدول العربية بالانضمام إلى جنوب إفريقيا في الدعوى المرفوعة بمحكمة العدل الدولية ضد إسرائيل لوقف أعمال الإبادة الجماعية في غزة. فهناك سوابق تاريخية لدعاوى العرب امام المحكمة وماذا حدث لها عند التعرض لمساومة واشنطن ووعودها.
فالسابقة الأخيرة للسلطة…
— حافظ المرازي (@HafezMirazi) January 7, 2024
He added, “The International Court of Justice accepted the case at that time, based on a violation of the Vienna Convention, stating that the embassy was established on the territory of the future state.”
He continued, stating that the court accepted that “Jerusalem is not considered part of the land of Israel, especially since it has a previous decision in 2004 supporting the illegitimacy of the separation barrier on occupied territory.”
Al-Mirazi went on to say, “Two and a half years have passed, and the case has not been heard. Then Biden assumed the presidency in January 2021, and in February, the current American judge Joan Donoghue took over the presidency of the International Court, succeeding the Somali judge Abdulqawi Yusuf. The case began to move forward, with June 1, 2021, set for Palestine’s oral pleadings.”
In a tweet, the Egyptian journalist stated: “On April 14, the Palestinian Authority, on behalf of Palestine, requested a postponement of the hearing in its case against America before the International Court. Until now, we have not heard from the Palestinian Authority when it will continue its strong case accepted by the International Court of Justice regarding Jerusalem. Has it received anything from Biden’s administration promises?”
The Egyptian journalist emphasized the importance of keeping the lawsuit in the hands of South Africa, as, unfortunately, if “Arabized, it might be ruined or postponed!”
The lawsuit has raised significant Israeli concerns, and Tel Aviv announced that it would send former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Aharon Barak to participate in the hearing before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.