By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The mayor of an Israeli town has ordered the removal of a South African flag, in protest at the case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

In a video posted by Israel’s Channel 12 on X, Raz Kinstlich is seen dismantling the flag himself before it drops to the ground. 

Commenting on the action taken, Kinstlich posted on Facebook: “After October 7th, when we were experiencing some of our toughest moments as a nation, the rules changed.”

“We will not apologize for exercising our fundamental right to protect ourselves and our existence and whoever acts or will act against the state of Israel – will not be able to exist, neither in our consciousness and in the pages of history,” he said, according to a Google translation.

The mayor continued: “Therefore, we have decided that the South African flag that has been flown so far along with the 32 flags of countries that voted for the establishment of a Jewish state in 1947, will be removed immediately. Zero tolerance for those who seek our evil.”

“Our hopes are not lost yet, with Israel live,” he concluded. 

בעקבות התביעה בהאג: ראש עיריית ראשון לציון, רז קינסטליך, הנחה להסיר את דגל דרום אפריקה שהוצב בעיר pic.twitter.com/XNhYa6hhFO

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) January 28, 2024

 The flag, it is understood, was flying alongside other flags in the Leadership Park or Garden of Leaders, part of an open-air museum in the town, south of Tel Aviv. 

On Friday, the ICJ ordered Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in its ongoing war in Gaza. 

The order was the outcome of a lawsuit filed in December by South Africa with the ICJ requesting an injunction against Israel on the grounds that its attacks on Gaza violate the Genocide Convention. Public hearings on South Africa’s request were held on January 11 and 12. 

An overwhelming majority of the ICJ’s 17-judge panel voted to order urgent measures, which covered most of South Africa’s request, aside from ordering an immediate ceasefire in the conflict.

Israeli Officials Furious

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected the ruling. 

Netanyahu said Israel has an “inherent right to defend itself,” adding that the “vile attempt to deny Israel this fundamental right is blatant discrimination against the Jewish state, and it was justly rejected.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said – in a post on X – that Israel does not need to be ‘lectured on morality’ from the ICJ.

South African President Cyril Ramphosa welcomed the ruling saying it “marks an important first step in our quest to secure justice for the people of Gaza.”

 “We welcome the measures that the court ordered by majority decision, ruling that Israel military should not commit acts of genocide against Palestinians,” Ramaphosa said in a live televised address on Friday. 

Included in the ruling, Ramaphosa explained is that Israel should take all measures to prevent and punish incitement to genocide; must take immediate and effective measures to allow basic services and humanitarian assistance to Gaza; and it should preserve evidence of what is happening in Gaza, as well as submit a report within a month on all measures taken to give effect to the ICJ order within one month. 

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 26,422 Palestinians have been killed, and 65,087 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

(The Palestine Chronicle)