Israel is lobbying members of Congress to press South Africa to drop its legal proceedings in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the war in Gaza, Axios reported on Monday, citing an Israeli foreign ministry cable.
South Africa filed the case against Israel at the ICJ in December of last year, accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention during its attacks in Gaza. It has until October 28 to give the top UN court its arguments for continuing the case against Israel.
Israeli officials say they want members of Congress to make clear to South Africa that there will be consequences for continuing to pursue the case, according to Axios.
Israel hopes the new coalition government in South Africa will take a different approach to Israel and the war in Gaza, the officials said.
Israeli officials quoted by Axios said that the Israeli foreign ministry started a diplomatic campaign in recent weeks to press South Africa not to push forward with the case at the ICJ. The US congress is a main tool in the effort.
On Monday, the foreign ministry sent a classified cable to the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC and to all Israeli consulates in the US about South Africa's ICJ case.
"We are asking you to immediately work with lawmakers on the federal and state level, with governors and Jewish organizations to put pressure on South Africa to change its policy towards Israel and to make clear that continuing their current actions like supporting Hamas and pushing anti-Israeli moves in international courts will come with a heavy price," the cable read, as quoted by Axios.
The Israeli diplomats were instructed to ask members of Congress to issue public statements condemning South Africa's actions against Israel and threaten that it could lead to suspending US trade relations with South Africa.
The Israeli diplomats were also instructed to ask members of Congress and Jewish organizations in the US to reach out directly to South African diplomats in the US and make clear South Africa would pay a heavy price if it doesn't change its policy.
Another path the Israeli diplomats were instructed to pursue was pushing legislation against South Africa on the state and federal levels "that even if they won't materialize, presenting them and talking about them will be important" in trying to influence South African policy.
The Israeli foreign ministry declined to comment. The South African embassy in Washington, DC did not respond to a request for comment.
On January 26, the ICJ handed down a ruling in South Africa’s case, saying that Israel must do everything to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and take "immediate" measures for aid provisions. It did not, however, order Israel to stop the war in Gaza.
However, the court has not yet started to substantially discuss South Africa's accusations of genocide, though it is expected to in the coming months.
A group of several countries have sought to join the South African lawsuit, including Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and more recently Turkey.
The Palestinian Authority has also filed an application with the ICJ to join South Africa as a party in its Gaza genocide case against Israel.