South Africa's Minister of International Relations, Naledi Pandor, responded to the attacks on her personally, after her country announced that it would sue Israel before the International Court of Justice, on charges of committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
“I have no doubt that what Israel will try to do is focus on the attack launched by Hamas on October 7, which we condemned,” Pandor said. They will ignore the large number of deaths resulting from the careless bombing of Palestinian civilians who had no role in this attack.”
She added, "It will be very difficult after these atrocities committed against civilians to convince the world that they were committed with the motive of arresting and stopping those who carried out the attack."
Regarding some of Israel’s supporters directing personal insults at her because of her country’s lawsuit in the International Court of Justice, Pandor said, “I have always believed that insults are the last resort of villains,” rejecting the attempt to link her name to specific groups.
On Friday, South Africa rejected Israel's accusation that it represents the Palestinian Hamas movement at the International Court of Justice.
The country’s legal team said, in a press conference in front of the headquarters of the International Court in The Hague, after the end of the hearing on Israel’s defense, “We do not represent Hamas as Israel claims, but rather this team represents the people of South Africa,” noting that “Israel’s claim that we praised Hamas “After the October 7 attack, it is baseless and we reject and condemn it.”
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South Africa's FM reply to attackers: Insults are the last resort of villains