In 1958, Mao Zedong ordered the Chinese people to exterminate the humble sparrow. That’s because the birds were feeding on much-needed grain in a country where hunger is a constant.
People dutifully took up the challenge, shooting birds, destroying nests, breaking eggs, and banging drums to frighten the animals and prevent them from landing and resting. Two years later, sparrows were close to extinction across China, killing hundreds of millions of birds.
However, the extermination of the sparrows resulted in one of the most devastating famines in recent history, killing between 15 million and 40 million Chinese citizens (the exact number remains debatable).
why? Because it turns out that sparrows don’t just eat grain. They also ate insects, such as locusts, which feed on crops. With their main predator virtually eliminated, locusts rampaged through China.
South African government is learning the law of unintended consequences
This is the law of unintended consequences, and it is what the South African government is trying to discover.
Israel is going to the International Court of Justice and South Africa is excited about it.
This appears to be a golden opportunity for the African National Congress (ANC) to regain some of its lost luster. It’s a chance to showcase their values and deep-rooted concern for the peoples of the world. Well, besides Zimbabweans, there are also people from Iran, Muslims from China, Muslims from Ukraine, Cuba, Sudan, etc. And apart from its own citizens in South Africa, which boasts the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, appalling crime, poor health care, and a devastating power crisis.
Finally, they can prove to South Africans that they can get things done ahead of the 2024 national elections. According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Israel is guilty of genocide. They are killing civilians indiscriminately in Gaza and need to be stopped immediately.
The legal team assembled by the ANC is a strong team. Knowledgeable and respected. A leader in this field.
But there are several reasons why a lawsuit against Israel is far from a “slam dunk.”
Hamas vows in its charter, actions, and words to kill all Jews in the region (literally the definition of genocide).
Hamas affirmed the October 7 action and publicly stated it would do it “again and again.”
Hamas is still holding hostages, including a baby Kfir who, if alive, would have celebrated his first birthday this week.
Hamas raped, tortured, and kidnapped women en masse, and murdered children and civilians as they lay in their beds.
Hamas could end all the killings by returning the hostages and surrendering.
They used billions of dollars in aid to build tunnel systems purely for terrorism. Accumulated and manufactured weapons are still being used against Israeli cities. and “educated” Gazan children to hate Jews.
They used hospitals and schools as military bases.
They prevented civilians from moving to safe areas.
They fired rockets at Israel, 20% of which fell on Gaza itself, killing civilians.
Add to this the fact that there was a ceasefire on October 6th, which Hamas broke, and that Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel. Without Iron Dome, the rockets likely would have killed thousands of Israelis.
Israel will definitely have the necessary evidence of the above.
The court must consider the actions of the parties. Consider the facts and if there was indeed a genocide, who would be the victims?
What does this have to do with Chinese sparrows?
The answer is “unintended consequences.” The reality is that Israel has long struggled to be heard. The overwhelming support of the Palestinian cause in the Western media, as well as that of academics and so-called progressives who sympathize with the “oppressed” peoples, is creating chaos in the world. Repetitions of “genocide,” “apartheid,” and “ethnic cleansing” serve to silence alternative voices, echoing Israeli ambiguous responses to rape, hostage taking, and relentless attacks on Israeli cities. It is shown. .
By bringing Israel to the ICJ, South Africa will finally provide Israel with a platform and an opportunity to be heard.
Algorithms that until recently would have reliably protected those who hate Israel from opposing viewpoints, media that may have avoided presenting alternative facts, and academics who have stumbled into the Orwellian world they have created. We will hear that opinion from Israel.
Not everything goes the way Israel wants. There will also be sound bites that will harm some Israeli ministers. Ugly war incidents will also occur. And the terrible suffering of the Palestinian people will be exposed.
Still, by concluding and presenting the facts, South Africa would have provided Israel with the platform it has long sought. In doing so, the ANC will not only support Israel, but will also expose itself as the selfish and hypocritical organization that many know it to be.
In essence, the ANC kills two birds with one stone by taking Israel to the ICJ.
The author is a South African author of three books. He is a weekly columnist on his News24 and Jewish Report and is a talk show host on his morning Mayhem. He is also the Director of Marketing and Human Resources for Synthesis Software Technologies.