EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
January 11, 2024Whilst freezing in below 4 degree termperatures from 5.30am this morning waiting for the chance to register to go in and watch the ICJ hearing, I was lucky to meet British MP Jeremy Corbyn who had travelled from London to also witness the hearing.
Fortunately for him he was the last person allowed in to the hearing as only 14 members of the public were permitted entry. I was number 16.
The Rt Hon. Mr Corbyn agreed to do a quick interview with me and expressed his confidence that South Africa’s case had a very strong chance of victory.
WATCH THE INTERVIEW NOW. @jeremycorbyn
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English Script:
Daizy: It’s 6 a.m. at The Hague. We’re outside the International Court of Justice and Jeremy Corbyn.
Corbyn: 6:11.
Daizy: 6:11 a.m. That’s very good. Keep me honest. Jeremy Corbyn, British Member of Parliament, is here and you are lining up with the public.
Corbyn: Yeah.
Daizy: Couldn’t get yourself in. No. Special treatment for members of Parliament who want to…
Corbyn: It is, it is quite right, there isn’t.
Daizy: Absolutely.
Corbyn: And I really admire the way that they’ve set this up actually, standing here at 6 o’clock in the morning. Line us all up and tickets apparently imminently, and then we can go in. And I think it’s quite right. It should be a democratic process. So there is no privilege with being a member of the House of Commons or indeed any other parliament. That’s fine.
Daizy: And I agree. I think that should be the rules for everyone.
Corbyn: And after all, I’m a member of the public myself aren’t I?
Daizy: You are. You are. And I just want to make sure we can hear you.
Corbyn: Can you hear me okay over there?
Daizy: Do you think? Come in a little bit closer. Today is a very important day historically for humanity, not just in the case. This is just not about South Africa. Sorry about Israel and Palestine. It’s for humanity. We’ve seen the people all around the world, particularly in London and around England, protest. I’ve seen you in Parliament, argue the case for justice and for international law. How confident are you that the judges presiding over this case today will follow international law and abide by those conditions?
Corbyn: Two things give me encouragement. One is the strength of the case of the South Africans who have assembled, are superbly prepared and will be sure it will be superbly presented going through all aspects of this convention on genocide and giving a lot of examples of the behaviour of the IDF forces strictly in Gaza. And secondly, the other governments that have now joined the South Africans too. Last night, for example, Colombia has joined it and I’ve no doubt there are many other governments around the world that are prepared to. I asked the British government to join in on Monday, the Parliament. They declined my request. I’m not very surprised but they did, but I’m impressed by the strength of feeling around the world. And you are very generous in what you say about our campaigning in London. But we’ve now had demonstrations, huge demonstrations roughly once a week since October, and we’re expecting at least half a million people on the streets of London, subsequently together with demonstrations all over the country and I’ve been speaking at meetings, rallies and so on all over the country for the last three months and I’ll carry on doing it as long as it takes.
Daizy: And with respect to the British government and their stance this week seen, the foreign secretary being questioned in the in the committee hearings and his, you know, avoidance of claiming or agreeing that Israel has violated international law. It’s political right?
Corbyn: Well it’s varied because the British government has also on occasions said that they were opposed to the occupation, particularly opposed to settlements and ??? The fact that it’s illegal to do it. So they can’t have it both ways. They can’t say on one hand, Israel’s long term behavior in the West Bank is legal but what they’re doing in Gaza is some rationale for self-defense. Well that is very questionable in a lot of grounds but to kill now 30,000 people, deliberately deny people food, deliberately deny them water and deliberately target places where there are known to be large numbers of children.
And, of course, the incident with the hospital and even under the laws of occupation, you have to provide basic services for the people you occupy. So Israel’s defense, I’m looking forward to reading it but it’s not yet been, but I read the South African submissions and I think it’s very, very well presented. And so I hope we get justice here. You know what, just by getting here, the fact that the court has expedited this hearing is a message to the rest of the world. This is going to be something huge and important and so the messages I was getting last night, immediately started putting in on social media, I was on my way here.
Daizy: Are you… Just tell me, what is the process that we can expect from the next two days? Today and tomorrow.
Corbyn: Well today will be, it’s been extended now to 3 hours and the South African representatives will speak for 3 hours and take us through all aspects of the convention and the legal arguments. Tomorrow, Israel will equally have 3 hours to respond. I would be very surprised if there’s any statements or inkling tomorrow. I think there may be an interim judgement and the longer judgment may take a long time but…
Daizy: How long would the interim judgement take?
Corbyn: Hard to know, I mean I’m not in charge of this process, but I would hope they could come out with something fairly quickly perhaps but the fact they’re here and the world is going to be watching makes the difference. There are people all around the world who get up in the morning, turn on your computer or phone or tablet on the news. And I went into a store near my constituency in my community. Palestinian store, a small business that were very, very sad, and they’re just in tears, watching…
Dutch guy: Because there are 13 places left.
Daizy: 13 places.
Corbyn: I’m 14.
Daizy: Well, you got to go in there and I’ll try.
Well, that was Jeremy Corbyn, the British member of Parliament. We were just being told that only 13 people can get in today. We are number 16 and 17, so I don’t think we’re going to make it in. So, we will stay out and report for you from outside the Criminal International Court of Justice. And I want to thank Jeremy Corbyn for speaking with me today and giving us some information on what we can expect. Thanks.
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