Former South African Foreign Minister Naredy Pandor revealed that the initiative to bring Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and label it as “genocide” originated from anti-Israel lawyer John Dugard, who communicated with her through former South African Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils.
Dugard, known for opposing the apartheid regime, has redirected his efforts towards condemning Israel globally, making unfounded claims of “apartheid.” It’s important to note that Israel does not discriminate against Arabs, and the separation seen in disputed territories largely stems from Palestinian apprehensions about Israel.
Kasrils, a prominent communist and former ANC leader, is recognized for his fervent activism. Although he served in the apartheid government, he later distanced himself politically while launching a campaign against Israel. (Interestingly, I think Kasrils’ actions to rally leftist Jews in South Africa significantly influenced similar global movements.)
Pandor shared that in a resurfaced statement from last year, Dugard, who was somewhat unknown to her, reached out via Kasrils. Other ministers—likely influenced by Kasrils—discussed the prospect of initiating the ICJ case.
There’s a certain irony here. Kasrils himself is an outspoken supporter of what he calls “genocide” regarding Israelis and Jews. In 2023, he notably celebrated the Hamas attack on October 7th, expressing, “They killed them and I felt sorry for them! I was very happy.”
Kasrils has openly aligned with Hamas for nearly 20 years, advocating for an ideology that explicitly calls for violence. But this was a new level of endorsement—gleeful approval of mass murder. Hamas’ actions are perceived as a way to unify other terrorist organizations, especially Hezbollah, in their goal to devastate Israel. Kasrils appears to fervently back this violent agenda.
The movement to charge Israel with “genocide” at the ICJ should certainly be viewed through this lens. It’s not merely a bizarre legal maneuver; it represents an attempt to back Hamas while denying Israel’s right to self-defense. One South African legal representative even claimed that, despite Israel’s complete exit from Gaza in 2005, the country was not allowed to defend itself against Hamas, branding it an “occupation.”
Should South Africa pursue this ICJ case, it would effectively prevent Israel from combating Hamas, bolstering the efforts of Iranian-backed terrorists striving to eliminate Israel and its inhabitants.
Questions linger about Iran’s involvement in the South African scenario and its financial connections. However, it becomes evident that it is not Israel but Kasrils and South Africa that should be scrutinized for the term “genocide.”
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News; Breitbart News Sunday airs on Sirius XM Patriot from 7pm to 10pm (4pm to 7pm). He authored Trump 2.0: The most dramatic “first 100 days” in presidential history, available on Amazon Kindle. Additionally, he wrote Trump’s Virtue: Lessons and Legacy of President Donald Trump, now available on Audible. He received the Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship in 2018. Follow him on Twitter @joelpollak.
