Former Egyptian Vice President, Mohamed ElBaradei, said that the failure of Arab countries to support South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel in the International Court of Justice would be conclusive evidence that Arab regimes “do not represent their people, and are a stain that cannot be erased.”

ElBaradei indicated in a tweet on his account on the “X” website, Tuesday, January 2, 2024, that the International Court of Justice will hold its first session on the 11th and 12th of this month to consider South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel for committing the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people.

ElBaradei confirmed in a post on the “X” platform, “He believes that all Arab countries will participate effectively and through the best legal experts in supporting South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel,” and said: “In short, not participating will be conclusive evidence that the Arab regimes do not represent... its people, and a stain that cannot be erased.”

ElBaradei continued, “South Africa will ask the court to order preliminary measures to stop a ceasefire and any other military operations until the merits of the matter are decided.” He added, “All states parties to the Genocide Convention have the right to participate in the court’s deliberations and present written and oral arguments.” 

ElBaradei, who served as Vice President for months during the term of interim President Adly Mansour in 2013, added that any ruling issued by the International Court of Justice against Israel will have major political, economic and legal consequences.

South Africa's case against Israel

On Friday, December 29, 2023, South Africa submitted a request to the International Court of Justice to initiate proceedings against Israel for carrying out acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, as announced by the International Court.

South Africa's lawsuit against Israel asserted that Tel Aviv's "acts and omissions bear the character of genocide, because they are accompanied by the requisite specific intent to destroy the Palestinians of Gaza as part of the broader national, racial and ethnic group, that is, the Palestinians," the ICJ said in a statement.

For its part, Israel attacked South Africa after the latter filed a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice accusing Tel Aviv of committing "genocide crimes" in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Israel rejects (with disgust) what it described as “the blood conspiracy carried out by South Africa in its application submitted to the International Court of Justice.” It claimed that “South Africa’s argument lacks a factual and legal basis, and constitutes a cheap exploitation of the International Court of Justice.”