4 April 2025
Justin Lewis, a representative of the UK-based judicial rights group Casisa, has written to Leo Brent Bozell III, the US Ambassador nominated to South Africa, calling for sanctions against the country.
In a letter dated March 27, 2025, and seen by IOL, Lewis, who leads a human rights advocacy group, claimed that South Africa’s legal actions against Israel are part of a broader Hamas strategy.
Lewis is currently involved in an investigation into alleged corruption within South African banks linked to UK tax havens. He asserts that the investigation aims to expose legalised “court-approved” international money laundering.
The tensions stem from South Africa’s December 2023 claims that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians following an attack by Hamas in October 2023.
He claimed that elements within the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) actively supported Hamas’ political strategy by facilitating access to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which Hamas, as a non-signatory, could not access otherwise.
“As part of a political strategy, preparations were made before the October 7 atrocity against Israel to set mechanisms in place for approaching the ICC and ICJ for protection from Israel’s anticipated response,” Lewis stated.
He likened this situation to “assisting a neighbour to burn his house down, then rushing to court to claim insurance protection from your insurer.”
Lewis argued that as a result of these actions, thousands of lives were lost, potentially making South Africa complicit in the violence and accountable for the consequences of the attack on Israel, should an independent verification body confirm his allegations.
Source IOL
