In his blog Informed Comment on March 15, Professor Juan Cole of the University of Michigan reported that the South African foreign minister has pledged to arrest “any South African/Israeli dual citizen who has fought in Gaza.”
She said at a pro-Palestinian gathering in Pretoria attended by a number of officials from the ruling African National Congress, “I have already issued a statement alerting those who are South African and are fighting alongside or in the Israeli Defense Forces: We are ready. When you come home, we are going to arrest you.”
Cole says Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor also called on people to create posters saying “Stop Genocide”
and to demonstrate in front of the embassies of the “five primary supporters” of the Israeli campaign against Gaza. She did not name them but they certainly include the US and Britain.
Cole adds that South Africa is ”a country of about 60 million,” but it wasn’t reported how many of its citizens are dual nationals serving in the Israeli army. He also says:
the South African government took Israel to the International Court of Justice with a charge that Tel Aviv is committing genocide in Gaza. On January 26, the ICJ issued the equivalent of a preliminary injunction against Israel on this charge, admitting its plausibility.
Cole says South Africa ”just last week made a further appeal to the International Court of Justice to intervene to halt the starvation of the people of Gaza.” It requested the Court “to issue instructions that:
The State of Israel shall take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address famine and starvation and the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in Gaza, by:
(a) immediately suspending its military operations in Gaza
(b) lifting its blockade of Gaza
(c) rescinding all other existing measures and practices that directly or indirectly have the effect of obstructing the access of Palestinians in Gaza to humanitarian assistance and basic services; and
(d) ensuring the provision of adequate and sufficient food, water, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, alongside medical assistance, including medical supplies and support.
Cole comments that the foreign minister’s statement “raises the question of whether dual nationals serving in the Israeli army could be found guilty of being complicit in genocide if they return to their home countries from Israel after the war.”
While this outcome is difficult to imagine in the case of US returnees, the question remains open in Europe, which has strong human rights laws and European courts bound by international humanitarian law.
UPDATE: March 30 —France to prosecute French-Israeli soldiers committing war crimes in Gaza www.newarab.com/…
France announced that any French-Israeli citizen engaged in war crimes in Gaza will face prosecution, after videos of soldiers abusing Palestinians appeared.