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SA politicians use Gaza ceasefire to roast Israel again

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South African government departments, political parties, and parliament have heaped blame on Israel in highly loaded, emotive language, and barely mention Hamas in their response to the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. They casually deploy the term “genocide”. And some are remarkable for what they don’t say.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) welcomed the ceasefire, but said it came “after 15 months of Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza, after Hamas and other armed groups launched an attack on Israel”. An attack? This wasn’t a minor shooting or stabbing. More than 1 200 innocent people were murdered, and 250 taken as hostage into Gaza’s labyrinth of subterranean tunnels on 7 October 2023. That triggered this brutal war.

DIRCO says the International Court of Justice (ICJ) deemed Israel’s actions in Gaza “plausibly genocidal”, an interpretation at odds with many legal experts. DIRCO calls for a two-state solution, respect for human rights, and no further annexation of land by Israel. It further urges a ban on settlement expansion and the rapid acceleration of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

There isn’t a single word about the almost 100 hostages still being held by Hamas in the most inhumane and appalling conditions. DIRCO essentially shows no sympathy for their plight. No wonder the South African Jewish community feels abandoned and betrayed by its government!

Traditionally, the African National Congress (ANC) uses even more extremist language than DIRCO, and it doesn’t disappoint in this regard in its January 8th Statement. It “continues to condemn the genocidal slaughter and ethnic cleansing by the apartheid Israeli government”. It cites 55 000 Gazans killed, almost 10 000 higher than official figures. It claims that more than 100 000 were forced to flee Gaza. Where did they go, as the Egyptian and Israeli borders are closed?

The ANC calls on the government “to remain seized with the cases at the ICJ and International Criminal Court”. It does call for “the release of hostages and political prisoners”, although scores of convicted criminals who murdered Israelis will be released as well. These aren’t political prisoners.

The statement advocates a two-state solution based on 1967 borders. It doesn’t say that Israel should be a Jewish state; its detractors never do. It has also been said before that everyone wants two states – except for the Palestinians and Israelis.

Not to be outdone, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) issued the most detailed – and antagonistic – statement. The opposition party acknowledges the ceasefire agreement “as a small but critical reprieve in Israel’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people”. The EFF ignores Hamas’s launching this war due to its maniacal killing spree on 7 October, and its capture of hostages.

The EFF says the Gazans “have endured systematic starvation and medical blockades”, and that the ICJ ruled that withholding aid “constitutes extermination – a verdict Israel has flagrantly ignored”. This is untrue. Israel has allowed more than a million tonnes of supplies into Gaza since the start of the war.

The EFF statement does acknowledge that the deal provides for 33 hostages to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails over a six-week period. It notes that Israel must allow Palestinians to return to their destroyed homes, and that the number of aid trucks entering Gaza daily is set to increase drastically. “While these steps offer a glimpse of hope, they do not erase the catastrophic destruction inflicted upon Gaza or the genocidal intent behind Israel’s actions,” it said. However, this view has decidedly not been upheld by the ICJ, which is still investigating the charges.

Also playing the numbers game, the EFF says more than 100 000 Palestinians have been killed, almost doubling official figures. It says “the indiscriminate destruction of Gaza’s hospitals, schools, universities, and places of worship reveals the genocidal intent of Israel’s occupation. The aim is clear: to erase Palestinian history, identity, and existence from their ancestral land.” This is a highly partisan view of this complex conflict. It fails to mention, of course, that Hamas has shamelessly used these civilian buildings to house its fighters and weapons.

Pledging unswerving solidarity with the Palestinian people, the EFF says, “We … categorically reject the framing of their struggle as terrorism and instead recognise it as a battle for freedom against a colonial occupation that has endured for far too long.”

Wielding words as weapons, the EFF calls Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “the Israeli occupation forces” war criminals. It calls for South Africa to implement resolutions of the previous parliament, including the “the expulsion of the Israeli Embassy (sic)” and cutting all diplomatic ties with Israel.

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on International Relations weighed in too. Committee Chairperson Supra Mahumapelo said, “South Africa is vindicated once more. It gives great pleasure to realise that even Israel herself was not convinced about the correctness of indiscriminate genocidal attacks that affected so many children, women, and other vulnerable groups in that region … This bout of aggression against civilians has never been seen anywhere possibly in history.” Supra liberally uses superlatives.

In the same breath, despite the country being so aggressive towards Israel, he has the audacity to claim, “South Africa is committed to its stance of negotiated solutions to conflict, and it remains non-aligned in its diplomatic posture. We are on the side of peace and negotiations. That’s what we offer as an intervention to conflicts.”

Other political parties, including those in the government of national unity like the Democratic Alliance and many others, have been totally silent about the ceasefire. That speaks volumes too.

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6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Marie Visser

    January 23, 2025 at 4:03 pm

    This South African government is a total disgrace! It’s a shame to be a South African citizen with such a ungodly, devilish government. But they all will one day stand before God Almighty and be held accountable for their actions and hateful words against the covenant and chosen nation of God – Israel the best and bravest nation on earth. God bless Israel and all their brave men fighting for their existence and God-given land.

    • Bendeta Gordon

      January 23, 2025 at 6:30 pm

      Hear hear Marie Visser👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

      Every single politician seems to be intellectually challenged.

      The ANC has dropped the standard of intelligence and governance in the national and regional governments. They have forgotten about the people.

  2. Gary Selikow

    January 24, 2025 at 5:41 pm

    Only an evil Satanic person can favour the Palestinian cause over Israel

  3. yitzchak

    January 25, 2025 at 6:31 am

    The latest DIRCO statement on the conflict spoke of a 2 state solution with “Palestine in a contiguous state”.
    Clearly they need to go back to geography 101 to sort that one out.

    It still puzzles me that current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ronnie Lamola is not under investigation for attempting (on 3 occasions) as Minister of Justice to block Mocambican Minister Chang from being extradited to the USA for massive fraud and corruption. Perhaps dirco spokesman Mr Phiri Phiri had something to do with it.
    It may be a good idea for him to not visit the USA in the near, not to distant ,and far off future.

    Meanwhile is there any news on the potential sale of municipal land in Gatesville and Grassy Park, Cape Town to private property developers ? As for the EFF, There is news afoot that Polokwane is to be the next capital of Palestine. Unfortunately it is still in the planning stages since moneys pledged to the VBS bank in Thohoyandou (Head of the Elephant) have been used to purchase properties in Sandton.

  4. yitzchak

    January 27, 2025 at 6:01 am

    One must congratulate the South African Government for its generous donation in 2023 to UNRWA =R161000. Malta was close
    USA $ 422000000.
    GOG ( gift of the givers ) gave zilch.
    $2833 came from Save the children fund.(Some saving)
    $20000 from The Vatican (They need to save on future litigation)
    AMEX (huh?) $52000
    Pakistan O
    Afghanistan 0
    Egypt Algeria Tunisia… peanuts 0

    Meanwhile Hamas has succeeded in claiming victory from the Caterpillar loader jaws of defeat.

  5. Gary Selikow

    January 27, 2025 at 10:54 am

    1948 the left supported the establishment of the State of Israel because after the Holocaust Jews were the flavour of the month, For another 20 years at least they would stand by this,
    Today most the left want to dismember Israel and massacre her Jews, simply because it is no longer fashionable for a Jewish State to exist,

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