Speech by fighter Carl Niehaus at the mass protest for Gaza in unity of the oppressed, on Saturday the 6th of April 2026
8 April 2024
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) strongly supports this MASS PROTEST in support of the long suffering people of Gaza, and the whole of Palestine. There can no doubt that the ongoing war that Apartheid Israel is waging against the people of Palestine is mainly directed at unarmed civilians, and the most vulnerable and defenceless women and children. The Butcher, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his Cabinet of war criminals, have through their own racist warmongering statements indicated that it is their intention to wipe out the whole Palestinian nation. There is no doubt that they are War Criminals, and that Apartheid Israel is committing genocide.
Therefore the EFF has come out in full support, and defence, of the people of Palestine, and continues to call that South Africa must take the strongest possible action against the Apartheid State of Israel. That is why our President and Commander In Chief, Commander Julius Malema, in his capacity as a Member of Parliament (MP), last year tabled a Motion in the National Assembly that all diplomatic relations with Israel must be severed, and that the Embassy of Apartheid Israel must immediately be closed down by the South Africa Government.
That motion was adopted with an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, but up to now President Ramaphosa has insisted that it is his executive prerogative to make the final decision, and he has not closed down the Israeli Embassy. This is hypocritical, and a totally untenable and unacceptable situation, and the EFF once again demands that the Embassy of Apartheid Israel must be closed down RIGHT NOW!
The EFF supports the case that the South African Government brought against the State of Apartheid Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and welcomed the Provisional Measures of Protection that the ICJ handed down against Israel. The most important of which were a call for an immediate cease fire, and that Isreal was ordered to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention, and to ensure that its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians.
However, these Measures are not nearly enough, and the EFF notes with deep anger and disgust that the Government of Apartheid Israel has shown no regard, or any compliance, with the Provisional Measures imposed by the ICJ, and flagrantly flaunted them while continuing with their war crimes, and committing genocide.
It is clear to the EFF that much stronger, and revolutionary principled action, is required; and therefore in addition to the immediate closure of the Israeli Embassy, we continue to call for ALL relations, of whatever nature, to be severed between South Africa and Apartheid Israel. This must most certainly include all financial and trade relations, and must mean full economic sanctions, and that all Israeli products must be boycotted.
The EFF also demands that no South African citizen must be allowed to make any donation whatsoever to Apartheid Israel, and businesses in South Africa that contribute to Apartheid Israel must be boycotted. The EFF furthermore calls on the South African Government to take strong action against any South African citizen that serves in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). For any South African citizen to serve in the IDF is illegal, and those who do so must be apprehended and prosecuted.
The United States of America (USA) is the strongest supporter of Apartheid Israel, and provides it with international diplomatic support, and it arms and finances Apartheid Israel’s genocidal war against the people of Gaza, and Palestine in general. It is within the power of the USA to stop the genocide immediately, and in not doing so the USA is fully complicit and co-responsible for all the war crimes and genocide.
This is also true for all the USA’s Western Allies in the European Union and NATO. In this regard the United Kingdom (UK) deserves special condemnation for its long historical and ongoing support for Apartheid Israel. All of these are war criminals, and together with the butchers Netanyahu, Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak (among others), should be charged for war crimes, and crimes against humanity, by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The fact that this has not happened is an outrage and exposes the ICC for the biased and farcical pro-West and imperialist institution that it is. The EFF once again demands that the ICC must with IMMEDIATE EFFECT arrest and charge these human butchers, and genocidal war criminals!
Understanding that the USA is the main sponsor of Apartheid Israel, the EFF fully supports this protest action here at the USA Consulate. The USA must be called out consistently, EVERY DAY, for its full complicity in the genocide in Gaza. It is our ardent belief that in addition to this Mass Protest today, further protests against the USA must follow, including also a Mass Protest at the USA Embassy in Pretoria. Our uncompromising call to the USA is clear: IMMEDIATELY STOP SUPPORTING APARTHEID ISRAEL, OR FACE THE WRATH OF THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA!
In conclusion the EFF reiterates our belief that in terms of international law, and the various Resolutions of the United Nations, with specific reference to Resolution 1514 (XV) of the 14th of December 1960, calling for an end to colonialism, and asserting the right of all people to self determination, the people of Palestine have the fullest right to fight for their freedom and the establishment of a UNITED Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that for HAMAS to have taken up arms, and to wage an armed struggle against Apartheid Israel is morally and legally absolutely correct.
It is comparable to the armed struggle that the people of South Africa waged against the Apartheid Regime in South Africa, and as such every true revolutionary and liberation fighter in South Africa must support the armed struggle against the vicious genocidal and racist Israeli regime. In this regard we reaffirm what our President, and Commander In Chief, Commander Julius Malema, stated in his speech during our EFF protest march to the Israeli Embassy on the 23rd of October 2023, that an EFF government will fully support the armed struggle against Apartheid Israel, and will provide arms to Hamas.
The EFF stands by this undertaking, and will certainly do so when we are elected by the people of South Africa as the new government of South Africa on the 29th of May, in the upcoming elections. The EFF furthermore reiterates our rejection of the so-called ‘Two States Solution’. As those who have been the long suffering victims of Apartheid and homeland/bantustan divisiveness and brutality, we can NEVER support an apartheid homeland system for the people of Palestine. As our EFF 2024 Election Manifesto declares, “… we support the Palestinians in opposing [illegal] settlements within Palestine that violate international law and are a hindrance to the establishment of a viable Palestinian State”.
The EFF supports ONE UNITED Palestine, that will be free from the river to the sea!
DOWN WITH APARTHEID ISRAEL, DOWN! PROSECUTE THE BUTCHERS NETANYAHU AND BIDEN! FREE PALESTINE! A LUTA CONTINUA!
Issued by Carl Niehaus on behalf of EFF, 7 April 2024
