South African minister faces threats after ICJ ruling against Israel
The South African Minister of International Relations, Naledi Pandor, has reported receiving threats following the country's decision to file a complaint against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and a subsequent ruling against Israel.
Pandor revealed that she had requested an increase in her security from the country's police chief after she and her children had become targets on social media. She expressed these concerns while speaking to the media at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation’s Address, The Citizen reports.
“I spoke to Minister Cele because of the various messages I was getting, and I felt it would be better if we had extra security. What I am more concerned about is my family because in some of the social media messages, my children are mentioned, and so on,” said Pandor.
Adding that, despite the threats and intimidation, South Africa remains resolute in following through on the course. “This is part of the course; the Israeli agent’s intelligence services are how they behave, and they seek to intimidate you. So, we must not be intimidated; there is a course that is underway. The people of the world and Palestine didn’t draw back when the apartheid state was at its worst.”
“They stood with the liberation movement, so we can’t stand back now, we must be with them, and I think one of the things we must not allow is a failure of courage. It’s extremely important we continue with this, we talk to the South African people, and they understand why it is that we have taken up this moral course,” Pandor said.
South Africa approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking a series of orders against Israel. The requests included an immediate suspension of Israel's offensive attacks in Gaza, a cessation of forced displacement, facilitation of humanitarian access for thousands of displaced Palestinians, and the preservation of evidence related to the conflict.
