South Africa's lawsuit against Israel a political move driven by Qatar, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah

The lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a few months after the Oct. 7 massacre is related to the African country's links with Iran, Qatar and terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, reveals a report recently published by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), the same organization that exposed Qatar’s funding of antisemitic protests at universities in the United States.

Late last October, South Africa presented at the last minute evidence that allegedly proves that Israel is committing "genocide" in the Gaza Strip as part of its anti-terrorist operations. However the court had earlier rejected a request for an extension of South Africa's deadline to present evidence, reflecting the country’s difficulty in supporting its allegations.

Moreover, under the same lawsuit, South Africa has repeatedly filed interim measures to stop the fighting between Israel and terrorist groups in Gaza, but the ICJ has not granted any of Pretoria's requests in their entirety.

The real motives behind the South African lawsuit against Israel

The ISGAP report reveals the close ties between the South African government and Iran and Qatar, and stresses that the lawsuit filed by Pretoria at the ICJ is influenced by these countries that fund Islamic terrorism globally.

The report explains that the lawsuit constitutes a political maneuver to divert attention from the internal crisis in South Africa and the strong criticism against the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in that country.

One of the objectives of the ruling political force is to make a distorted comparison between the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with the apartheid implemented in South Africa in the past.

ISGAP further notes in its report that the debts of the ANC, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, mysteriously disappeared after it announced its intention to file its "genocide" lawsuit against Israel at the ICJ, a move that requires a large expenditure over a large amount of time. According to the report, it is difficult for Pretoria to afford this on its own, which is why the ruling party is likely to have received significant funding from abroad.

The report details that the ANC received a large amount of cash from unknown sources after members of the South African government held meetings with leaders of Hamas, Iran and Qatar.

The money received by the ANC amounted to about $30 million, an amount that covered almost the entire amount of its debt.

South Africa is a cog in the machine of funding and backing Islamic terrorism

ISGAP further indicates that South Africa has become a hub for funding terrorism. Hamas and Hezbollah receive money channeled from that country with the approval of South African officials. Also, both terrorist groups have been increasing their presence on South African soil, where, among other things, they conduct military training, fundraising activities and media operations.

Regarding South Africa's relations with Qatar and Iran, the report notes that Pretoria has helped the Iranian regime participate in the BRICS+ political and economic forum to provide it with political legitimacy and influential economic access.

Qatar, for its part, has increased its trade with South Africa from $307 million in 2012 to $1 billion in 2022. According to the report, Hamas facilitated the strengthening of the relationship between the Arab country and South Africa.

Dr. Charles Asher Small, director of ISGAP, said the report reveals that South Africa is positioned "as a key player in the global web of anti-democratic terror financing."

In an interview with Israeli news portal Makor Rishon, Small, who in his youth was an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, noted that this system was rooted in Nazi racial ideology, which is why he is disappointed to see how the ANC, which prided itself on its victory over apartheid, now embraces Iran and Hamas, which also embrace Nazi-like ideologies.