Text of two replies by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation to parliamentary questions on the Israel-Gaza conflict:

MINISTRY

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

802.  Mr M S Moletsane (Free State: EFF) to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation: [ê278

(a) What support has been provided to the people of Palestine and their campaign that seeks to take back their land from illegal occupation by Israel which bombed Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza and (b) what are the further relevant details in this regard? CW984E

REPLY:

(a)  South Africa and Palestine are currently working on formulating practical strategies towards taking up the Palestinian cause to the ICC and ICJ to declare Israel as an apartheid state. Given the current trajectory of events, South Africa intends to directly petition the ICJ to give advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.

On the continental level: South Africa was instrumental in objecting and lobbying for Israel to not be granted an observer status to the African Union. In February 2023, South Africa welcomed the suspension of Israel’s observer status at the African Union. This action came at a time when the Israeli oppression became more brutal, the oppressed people of Palestine were and are subjected to bombardments and continued illegal settlements on their land, further hampering any efforts to the peace process.

On the global level: South Africa supports Palestinian efforts for membership of the United Nations and the creation of positive, credible, and lasting international mechanisms to address the Palestinian cause based on international law.

On the domestic level: The South African Parliament voted on 7 March 2023 in favour of a motion to downgrade its Embassy in Israel, to a Liaison Office. Since the recall of South Africa’s Ambassador to Tel Aviv in 2018, the South African Embassy in Israel has been headed by a Charge d’ Affaires.

Following the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on 1 November 2023, as a first step, South Africa commenced the process of recalling its diplomats from Tel Aviv. South Africa’s rightful decision to recall its diplomats is influenced by the need to assess its relationship with the country amid the rising civilian casualties from attacks by Israel on Gaza. South Africa is deeply concerned at reports that the number of children killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023, has surpassed the number of children killed across the world’s conflict zones since 2019.

Following the outcomes of the above Cabinet meeting held on 1 November 2023, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), démarched the Ambassador of the State of Israel to South Africa, Mr Eliv Belotsercovsky, on 9 November 2023, to discuss South Africa’s posture on the Israeli -Palestine conflict as well as to express South Africa’s grave concerns regarding the current trajectory of events, especially the attacks on Gaza which has seen currently over 11 000 civilians, including over 8000 women and children killed by Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks on the people of Gaza.

South Africa condemned the attacks on civilians by Hamas and further stated that these actions should be investigated for war crimes, adding that the response by Israel was unlawful. In this regard, the Ambassador Belotsercovsky was informed that South Africa intends to request the ICC to investigate the leadership of Israel for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Similarly, in its attacks on and kidnapping of innocent civilians, the Hamas leadership should also be investigated for breaching international law

(b)    South Africa has also called on the international community to seek a solution that facilitates equality and security for all people who have the right to live in the territories of Palestine and Israel before more innocent lives are lost. To this end, South Africa is considering the appointment of a Special Envoy to engage all role players within the region and beyond, to share our lived experience in negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution, as well as post conflict reconstruction and development.

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811. Mr K Motsamai (Gauteng: EFF) to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation:

(a) What interventions have been made to ensure the closure of the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria as a result of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and (b) why the said embassy is still allowed to operate in South Africa? CW1042E

REPLY

a) Following the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on 1 November 2023, as a first step, South Africa commenced the process of recalling its diplomats from Tel Aviv. South Africa’s rightful decision to recall its diplomats is influenced by the need to assess its relationship with the country amid the rising civilian casualties from attacks by Israel on Gaza. South Africa is deeply concerned at reports that the number of children killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023, has surpassed the number of children killed across the world’s conflict zones since 2019.       

Following the outcomes of the above Cabinet meeting, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), démarched the Ambassador of the State of Israel to South Africa, Mr Eliv Belotsercovsky, on 9 November 2023, to discuss South Africa’s posture on the Israeli -Palestine conflict as well as to express South Africa’s grave concerns regarding the current trajectory of events, especially the attacks on Gaza which has seen currently over 11 000 civilians, including over 8000 women and children killed by Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks on the people of Gaza.

South Africa condemned the attacks on civilians by Hamas and further stated that these actions should be investigated for war crimes, adding that the response by Israel was unlawful. In this regard, the Ambassador Belotsercovsky was informed that South Africa intends to request the ICC to investigate the leadership of Israel for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Similarly, in its attacks on and kidnapping of innocent civilians, the Hamas leadership should also be investigated for breaching international law

b)It is indeed evident that South Africa cannot have normal relations with Israel, as long as the latter is unwilling to sincerely negotiate a peace plan without preconditions with Palestine. South Africa cannot be a party in any way to Israel’s attempts and actions that would see the ideal of Palestinian statehood reduced into balkanised entities devoid of true sovereignty, without territorial contiguity and with no economic viability.

However, South Africa will need to take a well-considered approach to closing the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria. To achieve this goal, our Government will need to factor in whether such an action may impact negatively on South Africa’s ability to maintain a diplomatic presence in Palestine, which is the only link the country has to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Gaza.

Nonetheless, the demands for the closure of the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria have merit. South Africa will initiate steps to engage all relevant stakeholders to assess the approach to our diplomatic relations with Israel, given the current dire situation in the region. We will await too, the outcome of a parliamentary debate and possible vote on the matter, bearing in mind that we can only act when instructed by Cabinet as foreign affairs is the domain of the Executive.

Issued by Parliament 24 November 2023