Hague Group boss Gandikota-Nellutla exposes her anti-Israel agenda: Kenneth Kgwadi

Key topics:Claims Hague Group tied to US-sanctioned Ramallah groups via private callAlleges Iran and ANC backed legal push against Israel at ICJ amid wider conflictQuestions Hague Group credibility citing Al-Haq and Al-Shabaka coordination claims.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Kenneth Moeng Kgwadi*.The executive secretary of the Hague Group, Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, has exposed her anti-Israel and anti-Jewish agenda when she acknowledged on a call with over 108 people that their work was secretly coordinated by questionable groups that have been sanctioned by the US government and are based in Ramallah. This admission is not only troubling, but it is also a confirmation to suspicions that there are international political actors behind the decision to drag Israel into the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by the South African government.The Hague Group was formed by the Global South countries following South Africa’s legal action against the State of Israel. Its major purpose was to coordinate the legal and diplomatic measures against Israel. Its members include South Africa, Colombia, Malaysia, Cuba, Namibia and Senegal. Bolivia and Honduras reconsidered their membership following their elections and they improved their relations with Jerusalem. She was rebuked by a former senior UN official, Andrew Gilmour, who said “there are 108 people on this call, so just assume its not confidential.” .Read more:.Anti-Israel lobby targets holocaust centre over Gaza genocide claims: Marika Sboros.It would seem that her intention and interest is to spread misinformation against Israel hence she works closely with Palestinian groups known as Al Haq and Al-Shabaka who are based in Ramallah and are operating in secret without the names being published elsewhere. Given this backdrop it is quite impossible to ignore the previous media allegations which purported that the Islamic Republic of Iran paid ANC to initiate a legal warfare against the State of Israel at the ICJ. It is given that both the Iranian and South African governments would reject these claims as they have done but it does not mean that it did not happen. The principal political actor in the historical Israel–Palestine conflict has been the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has cultivated and financed proxy groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Through military training, financial backing, and political sponsorship, Iran has played a significant role in sustaining the conflict for decades. Tehran has repeatedly used its political influence and financial resources to obstruct efforts aimed at achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians by encouraging Hamas and other groups it supports to believe that the annihilation of the State of Israel was attainable.In a separate online meeting held on April 30, Gandikota-Nellutla reportedly stated that members of the Hague Group had been participating in meetings without the inclusion of these US-sanctioned Palestinian groups because their presence could alienate European stakeholders, who might perceive the bloc as a radical political campaign rather than a credible diplomatic coalition led by sovereign states.The Europeans and the broader international community can now witness the behind-the-scenes planning and coordination between the Hague Group and US-sanctioned groups in pursuit of an anti-Israeli agenda. The credibility of this alliance, which claims to be holding Israel accountable, is highly questionable, given its collaboration with some of the most notorious groups in Ramallah that remain committed to the destruction of Israel rather than the pursuit of peace. In retrospect, it is the Hague Group that should be scrutinised for its anti-Israel and anti-Jewish stance, which cannot be left unattended. Their harsh rhetoric and actions must be assessed to determine whether they are advancing any nefarious agenda by claiming to do something good when they are not. They were found to hate Israel and its existence, which will make it difficult to begin to hold Israel accountable. They are not even close to solving the problem because they are fixated on hating Israel. They did not want to first conduct their own investigations, which would help them to formulate workable recommendations.The Hague Group, much like South Africa under the African National Congress, appears willing to front for Iran and its proxies in their confrontation with the State of Israel. The primary political objective does not seem to be the advancement of peace and stability between Israelis and Palestinians, which could ultimately contribute to broader stability in the Middle East. Instead, their actions appear to be reinforcing the opposite agenda, one largely driven by Iran’s regional ambitions to create instability and undermine any conducive environment for meaningful peace and coexistence..Read more:.How South Africa's genocide case at the Hague is now built on sanctioned ground: Tim Flack.Both Palestinians and Israelis are largely peace-loving people who desire stability and security. However, one of the major obstacles has been the activities of violent groups in Ramallah and elsewhere that continue to receive various forms of support from Iran, thereby prolonging the conflict and obstructing efforts aimed at achieving sustainable peace in the region..*Kgwadi is a political scientist, columnist, and Research Fellow at the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI).

Hague Group boss Gandikota-Nellutla exposes her anti-Israel agenda: Kenneth Kgwadi

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