As 2023 drew to a close, South Africa pulled the trigger on its latest anti-Israel initiative, weaponising the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague in order to promote a modern blood libel against the only Jewish state and fuel the fire of antisemitism around the world.

The 84-page application instituting proceedings against Israel includes a request that the Court require Israel to immediately suspend its war against Hamas. The case that South Africa brings is a clear example of “lawfare”, an abuse of legal processes and legal institutions in order to advance political and propaganda aims against Israel and buttress the internationally proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas.

South Africa’s application furthers the purposes of Hamas, but this is not surprising. South Africa has form, from its support of Muammar Gaddafi, one of the biggest sponsors of terrorism, including the Lockerbie bombing, which killed 259 people in 1988, to its current close and deepening relations with Iran, the world’s foremost state sponsor of terror.

While South Africa’s latest move may have been anticipated, it should nevertheless be of deep concern to all law-abiding states and upholders of the rule of law, because it is a blatant attempt to exploit the international legal order with a bogus allegation of genocide against Israel.