Hague Group’s Anti-Israel Agenda Demands Scrutiny

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Foreign Policy article, co-written by Anwar Ibrahim (Prime Minister of Malaysia), Gustavo Petro (President of Columbia), and Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla (a left-wing policy advisor and co-general coordinator of Progressive International), spreads misinformation about Israel, while acting as a rallying cry for anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish sentiments.

Ramaphosa and South Africa’s accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) were not proven. While the article claims that “61,000 people” indicates a failed international system, and is indicative of genocide, this is far from the truth. The number of dead itself is already questionable, as reports are made by the Hamas owned Gazan Ministry of Health, which has a perverse incentive to inflate the number of dead to condemn Israel. The number also doesn’t distinguish between genuine civilians and combatants.

Ramaphosa is also displaying an incredible hypocrisy, as he was Deputy President under Jacob Zuma when South Africa refused to arrest Sudanese president and warlord Omar al-Bashir, which the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued arrest warrants in 2010 for charges of genocide with deaths predicted to be between 200,000 and 400,000.

The article also makes no mention of Hamas’ crimes, or the ICC’s arrest warrants for the now late Hamas leaders who helped execute the October 7^th Massacre. The event that kicked off this brutal war.

The article calls for the Hague Group, and other nations, to put an arms embargo on Israel, and prevent vessels carrying military supplies to Israel from docking at their ports. Ramaphosa’s government had no such qualms hosting Russian military exercises despite the country currently undertaking a brutal war of conquest over Ukraine. Additionally, while the South African government investigated itself and found itself not guilty of loading munitions and weapons onto the Lady R, US accusations that the ship was transporting military equipment to Russia should not be ignored.

The South African government, and Ramaphosa in particular, has no right to claim adherence to international law, and the entire formulation of the Hague Group seems more like using international law as a crutch to condemn Israel than as an actual principle that they support.

The Hague Group itself also requires some further scrutiny. Supporting organisations present at the founding of the Hague Group include Al-Haq, Al-Mezan and Samidoun. All organisations with links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terrorist organisation. Progressive International, whose co-general coordinator is acting chair of the Hague Group, has also declared that Israel is a “colonial project and imperial outpost” – a factually incorrect statement that implies a desire to the destruction of Israel itself.

The Hague Group and Progressive International have not been transparent with its financial data, donors or sources of funding. Raising concerns over who is footing the bill, and what are their intentions? This links to questions surrounding South Africa’s accusations against Israel at the ICJ, where the formal accusations of genocide were followed by South Africa’s ruling ANC escaping a financial crisis ahead of the 2024 general elections.

It wouldn’t be the first time that South Africa informed its foreign policy based on bribes. Gaddafi gave the ANC $50m to help shield Libya from scrutiny, and Nigeria’s Sani Abacha gave $50m so South Africa could help divert attention was from the fact that he was executing activists.

It is clear that the Hague Group is not some principled group of humanitarians, but a cabal of anti-Western actors pushing an anti-Israel agenda, motivated by greed and hate. With hypocrisy this rife, Ramaphosa’s article should rightfully be considered as misinformation and hatemongering.