‘When will Israel’s violations end – if not now?’

Vusimuzi Madonsela, ambassador of South Africa to the Netherlands, kicks off proceedings  challenging Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories:

• South Africa cannot overstate the importance of this advisory opinion for the Palestinian people.
• The occupation alone has lasted for more than 50 years. It has been conducted in defiance of international law without pushback from the international community.
• Therefore, we must ask, when will Israel’s decades-long impunity for widespread and systematic rights violations and norms of international law end – if not now?
• Over the past 106 days, the world has watched in horror the relentless attacks on Gaza. The ferocity of violence in Israel’s latest military campaign against Gaza and it’s flouting of international law – including an order from this court on January 26 – is the clearest indication that Israel considers itself unrestrained in its actions against Palestinians.
• Its actions occur with even more depravity and bloodshed.