The Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Naledi Pandor stated recently at the Conference of Palestinian Heads of Mission in Africa held at Pretoria, “While some might be wavering in their commitment to the Palestinian cause, South Africa will remain steadfast in our support of your just quest for freedom, justice, and independence.”
The Minister further acknowledged that, “Israel has consistently offended the UN charter and ignored territorial integrity and sovereignty. Since 1967, for over half a century, Israel has constructed over 160 settlements and outposts on land seized from the Palestinian people on which over 600,000 Israelis are living” and that “Israeli military attacks have killed 5,418 Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip – 23% of the victims were children, 9% were women.”
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) also iterated “attacks that kill innocent civilians have no justification, and they are more abhorrent as they are committed by an occupying power which has besieged the Gaza Strip for over a decade in contravention of international law. As an occupying power, Israel has specific obligations in terms of international human rights and humanitarian law, which it continues to breach without being held accountable.”
DIRCO added, “the international community has an obligation to ensure that international law is not violated indiscriminately and to urgently stop the Israeli occupation forces repeated attacks against civilians, especially women and children as well as the illegal blockade in Gaza.”
Strangely the Minister also promotes the SA Government’s hackneyed call for “through sustained dialogue, negotiations and mediation, by both sides respecting one another and through compromise and understanding.”
Surely the Minister is aware that Israel has for decades violated international law and UN resolutions and embarked on an incremental colonial genocide of the Palestinian people since its formation in 1948.
Israel’s continued defiance has consistently been supported by the greed of the military industrial complex under the auspices of defence aid to murder and maim innocent civilians and children. Western Colonial powers, Britain, France, the USA and the EU supposed bastions of democracy place their own economic and regional interests to the fore in propping up the apartheid state as their security watchdog in the Middle East and North Africa.
Human rights are flagrantly violated in the region perpetuating human suffering and proxy wars have caused the displacement of millions in Libya, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan through insecurity orchestrated by the very same Western powers of imperialism in their greed for hegemony of strategic resources.
The condemnation of Israel alone will not result in bona fide negotiation with Palestinians for an end to its oppressive settler colonial occupation policies. The dawn of equality rights for all who live in historic Palestine is long overdue. As was the case of apartheid South Africa, Israel needs to relinquish control and abandon its draconian oppressive policies which holds no place in the 21st century.
Israel has begun another indiscriminate bombing rampage of Gaza, constituting war crimes ostensibly as pre-emptive strikes against Islamic Jihad. Al-Jazeera reports that at least 24 Palestinians, including six children have been killed and 203 wounded during the two days of inflicted terror, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The IDF’s perpetration of war crimes includes destruction of vital infrastructure for survival of human population in this besieged area of over 2 million civilians subjected to effective imprisonment and starvation at Israel’s prerogative. This is unconscionably endorsed by the US and western nations that buttress the apartheid state.
There are many South Africans, predominantly pro Zionist Jews who support terror institutions like the SA Zionist Federation and SA Jewish Board of Deputies that are publicly complicit in Israel’s terrorism and genocide of Palestinians. South Africans also serve in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and are active combatants. And yet, the SA Government despite all its platitudes in support of the Palestinian liberation struggle and against Israel’s atrocities do not undertake active measures in ensuring South Africa fulfils its role that international law is upheld.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Media Review Network were amongst the complainants including principal complainant, Safoudien Bester, who lodged in February with SA Authorities and organs of state, SAPS – DIPCI and the NPA – NDPP PCLU , a detailed and incriminating case against South African nationals and citizens. This also includes the following Zionist institutions, the South African Zionist Federation of South of Africa (SAZF), Zionist Federation of South Africa – Israel (TELFED), Israel Centre Cape Town and the Jewish National Fund (JNF).
The evidence against the accused are incontrovertible whereby there is grave violation of the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terror and Related Activities Act, the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
In previous cases, the Complainants and lawfare advocates also levelled serious indictments on Israel and the IDF in its continued violation of fundamental human rights against the Palestinian people in its ongoing belligerent military occupation whilst perpetrating genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The recent military assault in Gaza is equally abominable and must be condemned like all previous military carnage. Palestinians have displayed immeasurable fortitude despite despicable Israeli policies to ethnic cleanse and executed by the IDF with impunity.
South African Authorities have universal jurisdiction via South Africa’s implementation of the Rome Statute to put the minister’s words into action by the number of cases it is currently seized with in holding to account these Zionist institutions and individuals who aid and abet the Israeli Occupation Forces.
The UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967, concluded that the expansion of settlements constitute war crimes. Likewise, Amnesty International investigation shows that Israel imposes a system of oppression and domination against Palestinians across all areas under its control, in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT’s), and against Palestinian refugees, in order to benefit Jewish Israelis. This amounts to apartheid as prohibited in international law.
We also urge mainstream media to be conscious of the nuances and eloquence in words of apartheid leaders former and present like, Yair Lapid who justify the spread of Israeli state terrorism called by something other, ‘protecting Israel’s security interests’ when the right under international law for Palestinians to defend their lives, property and human dignity is entrenched with whatever limited means and resources are available and necessary to ward off the aggressor.
International law recognises the right of self determination. It is the unlawful conduct of the IDF and its facilitators that sustain the oppression by apartheid state actors and its unlawful settler colonial practices that must fall within the scrutiny of our anti-terrorism legislation. The IDF’s actions consistently fall foul of international law and Israeli apartheid policies are delusional that the aspirations of ordinary Palestinians to resist will be suppressed.
The evidence is incontrovertible that rights of Palestinians are consistently violated through the IDF’s targeted terrorism against individuals and infrastructure and the belligerent occupation of the OPT’s.
Further inaction by our government and law enforcement agencies against SA Zionists participating in colonial state terrorism which violates the SA Constitution, SA’s Implementation of the International Criminal Court Act, SA’s Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities, Prevention of Organised Crime Act and the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act (RFMAA) makes the South African state also complicit.
The uninhibited conduct of Israel reveals its increasing desperation and awareness of the hostility that its policies are inciting internationally. Its lawlessness constitutes a threat to international peace.
With Israel’s consistent daily attacks and extra-judicial killings, home evictions, house arrests of youth and activists, inhumane treatment and torture of political prisoners, implementation of racist policies of discrimination against Palestinians, Arabs and non jews, arbitrary arrests, martial / administration law, belligerent occupation of Palestinian territories, illegal expansion of settlements which violates UN Security Council Resolution 2334, the indiscriminate bombardment and siege of the Gaza strip, perpetration of terrorism, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide and crimes against humanity, we demand urgent action, whereby:
- South African Authorities arrest and prosecute South Africans serving in the IDF.
- An investigation and prosecution of individuals in Zionist institutions facilitating terrorism,
and illegal recruitment of South African nationals and citizens into the IDF.
- The shutdown of Zionist institutions flagrantly violating our constitution and the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
- To adopt and implement comprehensive legislation with the IPPSRA advocacy bill as its focal point in an institutionalised BDS campaign to isolate and dismantle the apartheid
state of Israel.
The actions undertaken now by the South African government in upholding international law and ensuring the perpetrators of injustice are prosecuted in accordance with our laws in defending humanity will speak volumes in years to come.
For Further Enquires:
- Attorney Ziyaad Ebrahim Patel – +27 83 309 5238
- Palestine Solidarity Campaign, PSC – Cape Town, Martin Jansen – +27 82 870 2025
- Media Review Network, MRN – Iqbal Jassat – + 83 594 3749
[1] South African Police Services – Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation
[2] National Prosecuting Authority – National Director of Public Prosecutions, Priority Crimes Litigation Unit
[3] Implementation and Protection of Palestinian Solidarity Rights Act
- #TataByeBye - October 14, 2024
- Press Statement: MRN endorses Hind Rajab Foundation’s lawfare campaign - October 13, 2024
- Media Review Network is extremely pleased with the extensive research undertaken by “Law For Palestine” to compile examples of Israeli leaders expressing their intent to commit genocide. - October 10, 2024