Global leaders condemn Israel’s crimes, warn of international law’s collapse

The leaders of South Africa, Malaysia, and Colombia have called for an end to Israel’s unchecked violations of international law, warning that failure to act could lead to its total collapse.

In a joint article for Foreign Policy, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared, “The choice is stark: Either we act together to enforce international law or we risk its collapse.”

They compared Israel’s assault on Palestinians to their own nations’ histories of colonial oppression, counterinsurgency, and apartheid.

“We may hail from different continents, but we share the conviction that complacency is complicity in such crimes,” they wrote, stressing that the struggle for Palestinian self-determination is a global responsibility.

The article was co-authored by Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, chair of The Hague Group, which unites eight countries working to hold Israel accountable, including South Africa, which has accused Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.