Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
17 January 2024 | 12:40 p.m. SAST
2-min read

Picture: Instagram/Motaz Azaiza

Dr Oscar van Heerden, senior research fellow for African Diplomacy and Leadership at the University of Johannesburg, wrote an article recently in which he draws parallels between Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Nazi official Adolf Eichmann.

In an interview on Radio Islam International, Dr van Heerden expresses deep concern over the atrocities committed under Netanyahu’s leadership, drawing comparisons to the organised violence witnessed in Nazi Germany during World War II.

“I tried to find some comparison to understand what is in the mind of a person like Netanyahu that he is able to live with himself by committing such crimes against innocent civilians, especially women and children. And that’s when I thought of Banality of Evil,” van Heerden says in the interview.

Referring to the concept of the “Banality of Evil,” coined by Hannah Arendt, Dr van Heerden explores the mindset of leaders involved in actions that result in significant harm to innocent civilians. He explores the ethical implications of the actions in Gaza, pointing out the signs of genocide.

“This is how genocide starts,” he notes. “What we have observed in Gaza over the last hundred days…is collective punishment, it’s the bombing of mass population, killing indiscriminately…schools, churches, mosques, entire communities being flattened, and then you say you are targeting Hamas. It’s absolutely untrue…” van Heerden says.

The conversation shifted to South Africa’s decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for violations of the Convention on Genocide. Dr van Heerden discusses the potential consequences for South Africa, acknowledging the economic and political challenges that may arise due to the support Israel receives from powerful global entities.

“Unfortunately, the way the world operates, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and others, these are huge trading partners with South Africa. And what South Africa has done in this regard is to take not only Israel, but to actually put on trial the cyclical colonial project of the west,” Dr van Heerden notes.

Expressing scepticism about the potential outcome of the ICJ hearings, Dr van Heerden outlines a dualism in the international system. He points out that institutions like the International Criminal Court may apply rules and regulations differently based on geopolitical considerations, raising doubts about whether justice will be served in this case.

Dr van Heerden highlights the symbolic importance of South Africa’s stance, aligning it with the country’s history of overcoming apartheid.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.