With South Africa’s “genocide” case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) expected to begin in the coming months, pressure is being put on Congress to intervene on behalf of its closest ally.

An internal memo by Israel’s Foreign Ministry obtained by Axios reveals that Israeli diplomats have been instructed to request that US lawmakers issue public statements condemning South Africa’s actions and suggest potential consequences, such as the suspension of trade relations.

“We are asking you to immediately work with lawmakers on the federal and state level, with governors and Jewish organizations to put pressure on South Africa to change its policy towards Israel and to make clear that continuing their current actions like supporting Hamas and pushing anti-Israeli moves in international courts will come with a heavy price,” the memo reads.

South Africa has been at the forefront of legal action against Israel at the ICJ this year. As a result, the court has ordered Israel on multiple occasions to stop committing alleged acts of genocide against Palestinians and take stronger action to facilitate humanitarian relief in Gaza.

Escalating its crusade against Israel, South Africa submitted another petition to the ICJ in July. In it, they requested that the judges impose additional provisional measures against Israel, arguing that the court’s existing punitive measures are not having the desired effect. As a result, the ICJ declared Israel’s “occupation” of the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal and called for its end as soon as possible.

While the US is unlikely to take such drastic measures due to strategic interests in maintaining ties with South Africa, the threat alone is seen as a potential leverage point. The timing of Israel’s lobbying campaign is also noteworthy, as South Africa faces an October 28 deadline to present arguments for continuing its libelous case.