Organisational Rebuttal Document Defending South African Solidarity: A Response to Defamatory Allegations

Prepared by: Media Review Network (South Africa)

Executive Summary

This document provides a structured rebuttal to defamatory claims targeting South African solidarity organisations and leaders, including the Media Review Network (MRN), Gift of the Givers, and Chief Mandla Mandela. Grounded in international law, United Nations resolutions, and human rights documentation, the report affirms the legitimacy of Palestinian solidarity and the integrity of South African civil society actors.

1. Legal and Human Rights Foundations

The UN General Assembly recognises the Palestinian right to self-determination and legitimises armed resistance against colonial domination. UN General Assembly Resolution 37/43 recognises the right of colonised peoples to resist occupation, including through armed struggle compliant with international humanitarian law. Equating all resistance with terrorism distorts legal norms and silences liberation movements. The FDD conveniently omits that leading human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even Israel’s own

B’Tselem, have documented Israel’s apartheid policies and have recently concluded that Israel is committing the crime of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, aligning with international conventions. The International Association of Genocide Scholars, on 1 September, has also concluded that the crime of genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza.

2. Rebuttal of Specific Allegations

The MRN operates within South African legal frameworks, advocating for human rights and fighting against Islamophobia wherever it rears its ugly head. Its positions are consistent with global human rights findings. The international humanitarian organisation, The Gift of the Givers, is a globally respected humanitarian organisation, recognised for impartial aid delivery across 45 countries. Allegations of extremism are baseless and defamatory. We have noted the sustained campaign since 7 October 2023 against GOTG to malign the organisation for its support of Palestinians. No stranger to Zionists, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, Chief Mandla Mandela, is also a consistent target of the global Zionist lobby because he supports Palestinian rights, reflects South Africa’s liberation legacy, and aligns with peaceful advocacy measures such as BDS. South African solidarity movements explicitly reject antisemitism, focusing on policy critique. The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism supports this distinction. Nevertheless, we are acutely aware of how the global Zionist lobby and the Zionist entity weaponises and politicises antisemitism and the Holocaust for their own nefarious agendas.

3. Conclusion

The accusations against South African civil society actors are unfounded and strategically aimed at undermining legitimate solidarity efforts. These organisations operate within lawful, moral, and humanitarian frameworks,

upholding South Africa’s legacy of justice and international solidarity. The FDD report is yet another hasbara document in the service of global Zionism and the Zionist entity. South Africa touched a nerve and crossed a red line when it decided to take Israel to the ICJ for the crime of genocide. The FDD has been tasked with maligning South Africa because international law does not apply to the Zionist entity. It is an exception to international law. This is the official position of the Media Review Network.