Malaysia Announces Support for South Africa's ICJ Application Against Israel
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3 January 2024 20:52 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia announced on Tuesday its support for South Africa's submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians.
On Friday, South Africa filed a case requesting ICJ to declare on an urgent basis that Israel is in breach of its obligations in terms of the Genocide Convention
"As a State Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, South Africa is under a treaty obligation to prevent genocide from occurring," the South Africa Department of International Relations and Cooperation posted on X.
Malaysia, also a state party to the Genocide Convention, became the first state to release a statement in support of South Africa's submission. Israel and Palestine have both responded to South Africa's submission, as did the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
"The legal action against Israel before ICJ is a timely and tangible step towards legal accountability for Israel's atrocities in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) at large", Malaysia announced in a statement.
In the statement, Malaysia calls on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law and to "immediately end its atrocities against Palestinians".
South Africa in its application also stated that Israel, ever since October 7, 2023, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide.
The application also requested ICJ to indicate provisional measures to protect Palestinians against further, severe, and irreparable harm under the Genocide Convention, and to ensure Israel's compliance with its obligation under the convention.
"Malaysia reiterates its call for a durable solution by granting the Palestinians their own independent and sovereign State, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded.
NABIILA AZZAHRA
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