South African official says Western countries cannot speak about ‘human rights’

By Sumeyye Dilara Dincer and Tugba Altun

ANKARA (AA) – Mohamed Faizal Dawjee, communications advisor and former media director of the South African government, condemned the West's stance on Israel’s war on Gaza, stating that Western countries have “become complicit in the genocide of Palestinians.”

“We certainly believe that Western countries now cannot talk to us and preach to us about human rights, and oppression and freedom, because they have forfeited the right to do that, because they've supported and they are complicit in the genocide of Palestinians,” Dawjee told Anadolu at Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Regarding his country’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Dawjee emphasized the importance of understanding that South Africa's foreign policy is based on human rights, justice, and freedom.

“We see the same kind of oppression, and injustice and apartheid that we experienced in our country, in South Africa. In fact, many of our South African leaders who visited the occupied Palestine said what they've seen in Gaza is 10 times worse than what happened in South Africa.”

“So the application to the International Court of Justice is based on that. We want justice, we want freedom, we want the oppression to end in Gaza and Palestine.”

Dawjee noted that they followed up the application to call on the court to rule against Israel, stating: “Because we believe that Israel is practicing apartheid, and is committing genocide against the Palestinians. And this cannot be tolerated. And driven by this sense of injustice. We, the South African government, launched the application to end this genocide.”

He pointed out the pressure on the South African government to withdraw from the ICJ case, stating: “In fact, many countries believe that South Africa didn't have a case at the ICJ. But when the ICJ ruled in favor of South Africa, then everyone began to realize that this is a very serious case.”

-‘New world order’

Dawjee highlighted that many countries have stopped the sales of arms to Israel, because they are afraid of being involved and complicit in the genocide if the court ruled that "yes, Israel is committing genocide."

Regarding the impact of this case on Gaza and Palestine, Dawjee pointed to a new period where there is much more social solidarity among countries called “The Global South.”

“Not Europe, not America, but countries in Latin America and South America, in Africa, countries in the Middle East, who are now coming together and saying, ‘We need a new international order’.”

He expressed the need for any country committing injustice to be held accountable.

“That is why South Africa went to the ICJ. You cannot have a country that commits genocide and oppression to go on without being punished for it. And we think that as more countries begin to understand what is happening in Gaza and Palestine and the role that Israel, America and the UK played, more of them will realize that we need a new world order, a new solidarity among countries,” he said.

-Gaza, Palestine at center of Antalya Diplomacy Forum

He noted the significance of the panels at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, stating that Gaza and the Palestine issue are central at the forum.

Noting the importance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech at the forum, he said: “Because he again mentioned that Gaza and Palestine have redefined how we look at international order at international politics, and why international organizations are relevant to bring about any solution whether it's in Gaza, Palestine or anywhere else.”

Dawjee said innocent people cannot be constantly oppressed and killed, stating: “It has to stop and a forum like this in Antalya is able to bring different groups and people together to have a discussion because that is important. You need to have a discussion and an understanding of what is happening.”

• Writing by Seda Sevencan