The Israeli authorities have asked American congressmen to influence the South African leadership, Axios writes, citing a letter from the Jewish state's Foreign Ministry. According to the portal, in the text, Israeli diplomats are calling on the US Congress to threaten the African state with the cessation of economic relations if it does not withdraw its lawsuit against Tel Aviv from the International Court of Justice.
“We ask that you immediately work with federal and state legislators, governors and Jewish organizations to pressure South Africa to change its policy toward Israel and make clear that continuing its current actions, such as supporting Hamas and advancing anti-Israel measures in international courts, will come at a high cost,” the letter said.
As Axios notes, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has instructed its diplomats to facilitate the adoption of laws in the US that could harm South Africa. The portal's sources claim that Tel Aviv wants to use these measures to change the African country's position on the Jewish state.
The situation in the Middle East escalated after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, taking many civilians and soldiers hostage. In response, Tel Aviv launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip. The subsequent destruction of the Palestinian enclave, along with the growing number of internally displaced persons, has drawn condemnation from the international community, especially from Islamic countries. South Africa, in particular, accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. In addition to the UN court, the African republic filed a lawsuit against the Jewish state in the International Criminal Court. Other states, including Turkey, subsequently joined South Africa's statement. In January, the World Court ordered Israel to refrain from any actions that may fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure that its troops do not commit acts of genocide against Palestinians. However, Israel has not yet decided to stop its actions, advocating for the complete destruction of Hamas.
