SA's role as an international moral activist is precarious and selective

Shouldn't Arab countries have taken Israel to ICJ?

- Prince Mashele

Following my recent interview with Mawande AmaShabalala on Sunday World Engage, a podcast platform, I have been inundated with calls from friends and acquaintances, complaining about my opinion that South Africa should not have taken Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the conflict in Gaza.

As a matter of professional policy, I normally don't respond to those who react to my analysis, for I believe that, in a healthy democracy, people have a right to differ - whether we like their opinions or not. I am also aware that some people get offended by my opinions, and I don't expect them to sprint to the nearest shop to buy me roses. When angry people sharpen their knives, I grab a book and read.

So, what follows below should be construed as a clarification rather than a response. Some of those who have watched my interview have tried to portray me as a defender of Israel, or as a heartless brute unmoved by the mass slaughter of Palestinians.

Here is my starting point: the massacre of thousands of Palestinians by Benjamin Netanyahu and his murderous government must be condemned by everyone who values human life. Netanyahu and Hamas are the same; they both murder innocent people indiscriminately.