The Trump administration is investigation the allegations that African National Congress (ANC) leaders were bribed to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for “genocide”. That was confirmed in this interview with BizNews by Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, founder and president of Shurad HaDin Israel Law Centre that led a group of 160 lawyers in calling on the American authorities to conduct such a probe. Although it did not get a response from the Biden administration, there has been action from the Trump administration. “I’m in touch with attorneys in South Africa who are in touch with the US administration and according to their view there is an investigation going on in the United States administration.” She says they are demanding that the US use the Magnitsky Act to sanction South African officials if it is found that they were involved with corruption or receiving a bribe for going after Israel in the ICJ. “South Africa has done something very severe by buying, by buying its getting out of debt in return to destroy Israel.” In a personal message to the South African government, Darshan-Leitner says: “Get off our back. Just stay away from Israel.” And she warns: “Hamas will not end with Israel. Hamas is going to the West. And South Africa in this way or another has some roots in the West, so it should be careful as well.”
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Highlights from the interview ___STEADY_PAYWALL___
In an interview with Chris Steyn, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, founder and president of Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, discussed her efforts to hold South Africa accountable for its support of Hamas and its legal actions against Israel. Darshan-Leitner explained that South Africa’s support for Hamas, including a legal complaint against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), stemmed from a deal where South Africa, facing financial crisis, received assistance from Iran. In return, South Africa allegedly became a legal arm for Hamas, filing baseless lawsuits against Israel for war crimes in Gaza. She expressed concern that such actions were part of a broader strategy by Hamas, which uses legal warfare to challenge Israel in courts it believes will favour them.
Darshan-Leitner criticised the South African government for its anti-Israel stance, accusing it of corruption and complicity in spreading false allegations. She advocated for stronger punitive measures against South African officials, particularly through the Magnitsky Act, which targets human rights violators with sanctions. She also expressed hope that the U.S. administration under Trump would review trade agreements with South Africa, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), in response to the country’s ties with Iran and support for Hamas.
Discussing Gaza, Darshan-Leitner supported President Trump’s vision to vacate Gaza, rebuild it, and end Hamas’s control, but voiced concern that the terror group was still in control and continuing to rearm. She concluded with a strong message to South Africa, urging it to distance itself from Middle Eastern conflicts, particularly those involving Hamas.
Edited transcript of the interview
Chris Steyn (00:04.772)
South Africa’s genocide case against Israel is believed to be one of the reasons the United States has cut aid to South Africa. We speak to Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, founder and president of Shurad HaDin Israel Law Centre Welcome, Nitsana.
Nitsana (00:23.039)
Thank you very much for having me. It’s a pleasure.
Chris Steyn (00:26.326)
I just want to take you back to the previous administration when a group of 160 lawyers led by your law centre called on the American authorities to investigate African National Congress leaders. What did you expect them to find during such an investigation?
Nitsana (00:49.101)
So the case was advertised I think everywhere and the facts were pretty known. The Foreign Minister of South Africa went to visit Iran and right after this visit, South Africa filed a war complaint against the Israeli, the ICJ.
And the story was that the ANC, the leading party of South Africa, went into very heavy debts, almost went into bankruptcy, and Iran pulled it out from its debt and covered whatever she owed.
Therefore, in return, South Africa agreed to serve as the legal arm of Hamas, which is funded by Iran, supported by Iran, and file baseless lawsuits against Israel for committing genocide in Gaza.
We filed this complaint with the US administration demanding the US administration to conduct investigation and use the Magnitsky Act to sanction South African officials if they found that they were involved with corruption, if they were involved with receiving bribe for going after Israel in the ICJ.
Chris Steyn (02:21.484)
Now, did you get any feedback on that investigation from the previous administration?
Nitsana (02:27.051)
Unfortunately, right. So under the Biden administration, we did not get any feedback. We pursued it, but there was no response from their side.
I‘m very, very glad to learn that Trump did took it into consideration and his administration is going after South Africa and reviewing the…
Nitsana (02:56.176)
…I think it’s called the African Growth and Opportunity Act. This is the trade treaty with South Africa to see if they should continue having this enormous trade from South Africa into the United States. And this treaty should be reviewed because if South Africa indeed was involved with this corruption, it should be stopped.
Also, as you said in the beginning, Trump is not pleased with South Africa’s ties to Iran, South Africa’s support of Hamas, and South Africa going after Israel.
Chris Steyn (03:45.882)
Do you know whether the current administration is carrying out an investigation or whether it is just going on what is out there?
Nitsana (03:56.777)
I’m in touch with attorneys in South Africa who are in touch with the US administration and according to their view there is an investigation going on in the United States administration.
Chris Steyn (04:11.47)
Before you wrote that letter, were you able to gather any evidence to support your request for an investigation?
Nitsana (04:20.185)
Not more than what was published and it was quite enough. You know, it was not coincident that ANC in almost in bankruptcy and suddenly it pulls out of debt. All of a sudden, after a very known and famous and reported visit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Iran.
Look, one of the tools that Hamas is trying to use is the law, is taking Israel to court anywhere they can. They did it in the ICC, in the International Criminal Court, and now they are doing it in the ICJ, the International Court of Justice. And because they cannot win Israel in the military field, they go to other tribunals where they have an advantage; they’re using South Africa as their useful idiots. And they’re just coming and forcing them to serve with their legal arm.
Israel did not commit any war crimes. The one who committed the war crimes was Hamas when they came into our envelopes, communities and massacred and raped and burned people alive, babies, elderly women and obviously kidnapped 250, which of 50 of them still in captivity.
And yet the courts are going after Israel as the war criminal. If it wasn’t for South Africa, I don’t think there was a country that would agree to allege such frivolous allegations against Israel. Israel does not commit crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel does not starve the people in Gaza. You know, even now, even today when Israel cut off humanitarian aid to Gaza, the storages in Gaza are full of merchandise and food that will last for the next six months.
Nitsana (06:43.705)
The opposite, there is no starvation in Gaza.
Chris Steyn (06:47.194)
Okay. How do you feel about the punitive measures that have been taken thus far? Obviously aid has been cut, AGOA is likely to go, but would you like the US government to go further and sanction African National Congress leaders individually?
Nitsana (07:07.268)
Absolutely, The Magnitsky Act, which we demanded that the United States will follow, is a very strong act that the United States has been taking against those who violate human rights. It was supposed to go after Russian oligarchs that are involved with human rights violations, but it was used by United States for other cases, like for instance against Hakuji, the one that that Saudi Arabia, the Prince of Saudi Arabia decided to slaughter and mutilate in the Embassy of Turkey. So in any case that there are government officials involved with human rights violations with corruption, the United States is free to use this act.
South Africa has done something very severe by buying, by buying its getting out of debt in return to destroy Israel.
And I’m saying to destroy Israel because this is the meaning of going after Israel in the International Court of Justice…is joining the entire world, because everybody respects the ICJ, everybody respects its war; they’re gathering the entire world, going after Israel, blaming Israel for things that it didn’t do. It harms our country, it harms our soldiers, it harms our cause in this war, which has to end with destroying Hamas. We cannot let Hamas thrive and exist in the Gaza Strip and we can’t have our hands tied because baseless allegations against us in the courts around the world.
Chris Steyn (09:17.298)
Talking bout Gaza, what do you make of President Trump’s plans for Gaza?
Nitsana (09:25.899)
I wish it would come true. Trump’s plans for Gaza were initially to vacate all the residents of Gaza and rebuild Gaza and turn it to a Riviera, but forget about the Riviera, turning it to a place where people can live and secure the life of the residents of Gaza, which right now are living in the most dismal state ever, living in tents, in mud, living in poverty, living under the suppression of a terror organisation, serving this organisation as human shields. Enough is enough. These people have to vacate Gaza to leave this disastrous strip and let someone else take it over, build it and turn it to a lovely place. Meanwhile, these residents deserve or should enjoy better life in better places.
Unfortunately, I say, I wish it will come true because right now it seems that Hamas is still controlling Gaza. We are fighting for the return of the rest of our hostages and until then we are holding back. And unfortunately, this time that goes by just allow Hamas to rearm, to re-equip, to reorganise, to recruit more militants, more terrorists, to reconstruct their tunnels, and to plan a better attack against Israel once the ceasefire is over.
Chris Steyn (11:15.716)
Lastly, if you could personally send a message to the South African government, what would that be?
Nitsana (11:23.433)
Get off our back. Just stay away from Israel. It’s not your issue. It’s not your cause. It’s not your business. If you want to depress your own people, go ahead, but keep the Middle East away from you. It’s not your issue. Hamas is a terror organisation. You should realise that.
And one more thing, Hamas will not end with Israel. Hamas is going to the West. And South Africa in this way or another has some roots in the West, so it should be careful as well.
Chris Steyn (12:07.962)
Thank you. That was Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, founder and president of Shurad HaDin Israel Law Centre, speaking to BizNews. I’m Chris Steyn. Thank you.
Nitsana (12:20.253)
Thank you very much.
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