With the company they keep, South Africa’s ANC leadership are conveniently confused who are the real killers!

By Lawrence Nowosenetz

To recoin an old cliché – if it walks like a terrorist, talks like a terrorist, quacks like a terrorist it probably is a terrorist. This homespun truism is not embraced by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation of South Africa (DIRCO).  In an ‘un-momentary’ lapse of reason and disregard for international law, DIRCO has issued a statement on behalf of the government (28 September 2024) expressing:

“…its profound concern regarding the recent escalation of extrajudicial killings in the Middle East, most notably the tragic assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and other leaders in Lebanon.”

The statement went on:

“The scale of injuries caused by these indiscriminate explosions is deeply troubling and warrants strong condemnation from the international community. Such attacks on civilians constitute a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.”

Oh really?  

The following incontrovertible data can be gleaned from the IDF website:

Over the past forty years, Hezbollah has been responsible for several large-scale terror attacks against Israeli and Western targets which include:

• The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, killing 241 US servicemen.    
• The 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires killing 29 and wounding 242
•  The 1994 bombing of the Buenos Aires Jewish cultural center, which killed 85 and injured over 300

Until 9/11, Hezbollah was responsible for more American deaths than any terror organization in the world. Hassan Nasrallah became Secretary General of Hezbollah in 1992. 

Wearing the black turban of a sayyed, Nasrallah theatrically – often wagging his finger – used his addresses to rally Hezbollah’s base but also to deliver carefully calibrated threats, as he did so. The conflict with Israel largely defined his leadership but he morphed into an increasingly divisive figure in Lebanon and the wider Arab world as Hezbollah’s operations widened beyond, notably Syria where it fought in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war. Is it any wonder that many Lebanese and Syrians celebrated the elimination of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Saudi influencer Abdullah Al-Shaikh wrote that the joy at the news was “indescribable.”

“He was a leader of violence, extremism, terrorism, and betrayal,” he said, expressing his hope that Nasrallah’s death would mean “stability and peace in the region.”

In 2005, Rafiq Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon was assassinated by a huge bomb explosion as his motorcade drove near the St. George Hotel in Beirut. A further 23 people were killed in the explosion. While Nasrallah predictably denied any Hezbollah involvement in the assassination, a UN-backed tribunal indicted four members of the group.

With the egregious exception of South Africa, Hezbollah is recognized as a global terrorist organization by several countries, including Arab states and the major democracies.  These include the United States, the Arab League, Canada, Argentina, Bahrain, Colombia, Germany, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Honduras, Israel, the Netherlands, Paraguay. While Israel does not accept there is a difference, the UK, Australia, the European Union and New Zealand recognize the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. 

Like other terrorist organizations, beyond Iranian support, Hezbollah is deeply involved in funding from drug trafficking.   The DEA first targeted Hezbollah with Operation Titan, intercepting multi-ton cocaine shipments. 

It should be clearly understood that within the scope of international humanitarian law, terrorism and terrorist acts are prohibited under all circumstances, unconditionally and without exception. This is the stance of the International Committee for the Red Cross, no friend of Israel. The persons targeted by the Beirut bombing attacks and indeed the pager explosions were no civilians but identifiable Hezbollah operatives. Israel is at war with Hezbollah and such attacks are lawful under international law. Disguising combatants as civilians is a war crime called perfidy – a strategy much adopted by Hamas and Hezbollah.  South Africa should carefully distinguish between targeted attacks on legitimate military targets and bona fide civilians. It would also bode well if DIRCO condemned the targeted rocket attack on the Golan Heights Druze town of Majdal Shams on 27 July 2024.  A children’s playground was directly hit resulting in the death of 12 people, most of whom were children. This was the deadliest attack on civilians of Israel since the 7 October 2023 Hamas massacre.

With Iran directly supporting and suppling Iran-made weapons to Hezbollah, it was hardly surprising to learn that among those killed in Israel’s air strike on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut, was Deputy Commander of Iran’s IRGC Quds Force, Abas Nilforoushan. These are the ‘inconvenient truths’ for DIRCO which completely rubbish its statement condemning civilian attacks.   

DIRCO also self-righteously states that it stands in solidarity with the people of Lebanon. Which people of Lebanon? Hezbollah is an unlawful state within a state and most certainly does not represent the people or the government of Lebanon. Indeed, all across the Middle East there have been celebrations by Muslim Arabs at the demise of Nasrallah. 

With South Africa on its pitiful roll in its ongoing contrived assault on international law against Israel, it is time to blow the whistle on this foul. 

About the writer:

Now retired, Pretoria-born human rights and labour lawyer, Lawrence Nowosenetz practiced at the Pretoria and Johannesburg Bar. Recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, Nowosenetz completed an internship in the USA and served as a part-time Senior Commissioner at the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) as well as a panellist at Tokiso Dispute Settlement – the largest private dispute resolution provider in South Africa. He has also served as an Acting Judge of the Hight Court, South Africa.  

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