South Africa threatens to prosecute US over aid for Israeli ‘genocide’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor said at a Capetown mosque on Friday that America may be prosecuted by the ICC for sending military aid to Israel.

In a MEMRI video, Pandor is seen wearing a keffiyeh in front of a Palestinian flag as the crowd periodically responds to her statements with “Allah Akbar.”

She began by expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and said, “I would wish I were shoulder to shoulder with the men and women in Rafah. That is where I feel I should be.”

She added, “I get lots of emails. Sometimes from some of you here. You write to me and say, ‘Minister Pandor, you are not radical enough. You are not doing enough. When are you going to lead a jihad?’”

She then unveiled her proposal that the ICC should prosecute all countries, including the US, that provide military aid in Israel and mentioned a class-action suit against South Africans and others serving in the IDF.

Pandor said, “Those countries and officials who continue to arm and fund Israel’s war machine will be liable for prosecution as well.”

She added, “Civil society organizations will certainly take up such cases and hold those who have facilitated this genocide accountable by taking them to court.”

Concerning the issue of non-Israelis serving in the IDF, Pandor said, “Already there is a class action lawsuit planned against all foreigners serving in the IDF. ”

She added, “140 international lawyers are currently working on this case and are very carefully identifying each of these non-citizens of Israel, including South Africans who have been fighting for Israel, and a class action lawsuit is on the way.”

Pandor then indicated her proposal of prosecuting the US for aiding Israel was a fulfillment of a prediction made by US House Speaker Mike Johnson.

She said, “It is very disturbing that the US Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has responded to the ICC prosecutor’s decision by saying that America should punish the ICC and put Karim Khan back in his place.”

Pandor added, “He said if the ICC is allowed to threaten Israel’s leaders, then we know America will be next. Our response is ‘Of Course.”

In May, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told CNN he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismaiel Haniyeh.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “baseless and illegitimate decision that should face global condemnation.”

Johnson said he was seeking legislation to sanction the ICC. “In the absence of leadership from the White House, Congress is reviewing all options, including sanctions, to punish the ICC and ensure its leadership faces consequences if they proceed.”

He continued, “If the ICC is allowed to threaten Israeli leaders, ours could be next.”

On April 24th, eleven Republican senators signed onto a letter penned by Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and addressed to Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, the British attorney currently serving as the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor.

In the letter, the twelve senators noted reports that Khan is considering issuing international arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials for actions taken during Israel’s war against the Hamas terror organization.

Any such warrants would be “illegitimate and lack legal basis,” the lawmakers wrote, warning of severe sanctions against the ICC should Israeli leaders be targeted.

“Target Israel and we will target you. If you move forward with the measures indicated in the report, we will move to end all American support for the ICC, sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States.”