Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
30 January 2024 | 09:35 a.m. SAST
1-min read

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The ICJ implemented interim relief measures on Friday and ruled that Israel is required to take immediate steps to stop acts of genocide.

Professor of International and Diplomacy Studies at UNISA, Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, offers his perspective in an interview on Radio Islam International. He celebrates South Africa’s initiative and the court’s ruling as a proud moment but expresses scepticism about its practical impact.

“The Netanyahu regime [is committed to] destroying Hamas. And any Palestinian or any building that comes in the way of the strategic objective will be taken out,” Professor van Nieuwkerk said.

Professor van Nieuwkerk sees the conflict through the lens of a changing world order, with two power blocks emerging: the declining West and the rising Eastern/Southern BRICS alliance led by China. He makes the point that Western powers exploit the Middle East for their own interests.

“I don’t think the Americans and Europeans want to bring peace. They bring war to the Middle East to protect their interests,” he said.

The professor draws a historical parallel, by comparing Israel’s current strategy to the American failures in Vietnam and Cambodia.

He argues, “You can’t bomb an idea and hope to destroy a nation.”

The ICJ’s ruling and international pressure, he believes, echo this cautionary message.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.