ANC has forgotten about Gaza after the elections

The ANC has forgotten about Gaza after the elections. So disappointing.

South Africa stunned the world when it laid a charge of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. In court papers it claimed that Israel was contravening the Genocide Convention and asked the court to order Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza immediately. The claim by South Africa had immense cultural, diplomatic, historical and political significance.

After two days of deliberation the ICJ stopped short of ordering Israel to withdraw from Gaza but ordered it to stop the killing of innocent civilians. The big powers had egg on their faces. A small, inconspicuous country like South Africa had taken Israel to court and championed the cause of the downtrodden and voiceless. South Africa shone on the global stage and celebrated. It saw it as a major victory against the Israelis. The Minister of International Relations Dr Naledi Pandor took much of the credit for this victory at the Hague.

But in reality, the World Court ruling was a hollow victory. South Africa had made some noise on the international stage but nothing of any significance came out of it. Israel treated the ICJ verdict with contempt and continued to pound Gaza with impunity.

Naledi Pandor, who was all along very articulate and vociferous in her condemnation of the Israelis, has gone quiet. What could have stopped her campaign against Israel? Nothing really to wonder and ponder about. It was the elections! As soon as the elections were over the ANC and Naledi Pandor forgot about the people of Gaza.

Aah, it was an election ploy. The ANC knew how deeply affected the Muslims were about the crisis in Gaza and so it went to court to enhance its image among them and win their votes. Several readers wrote to the press applauding the government for taking up the cudgels on behalf of the helpless Palestinians.

There is another reason why Gaza does not hog the headlines anymore. It’s do with human nature, time and age. We all like something new, be it a dress, toy or a new car. But as it gets older it does not excite us anymore and we lose interest in it and even tire of it. It’s the same with a violent conflict. When a war erupts it makes news headlines but as it drags on, it becomes commonplace and fades away into oblivion. When Russia invaded Ukraine it caused a stir around the world. But as the Ukraine conflict dragged on, it’s become just another senseless war. It’s the same with Gaza.

Now our attention turns to Lebanon. Having got the taste of blood in Gaza, the Israelis, backed by the US, are now spreading their wings and going after Hezbollah in Beirut and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. While it could just become another one of the countless wars humans have waged from time immemorial, there is the danger the Israeli-Lebanon conflict could spread and engulf the whole of the Middle East. Whoever said these are God’s people?

T MARKANDAN

Kloof

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

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