ANC condemns Israeli massacre of innocent Palestinians
15 May 2018
The African National Congress views with complete shock and dismay the Israeli armed forces’ massacre of peaceful Palestinian protestors which has so far resulted in the demise of 55 people. The nonchalant and insensitive inauguration of the American Embassy in Jerusalem will forever be drenched in the blood of those innocent people, particularly the children as well as women who perished through the barrel of their guns. For a country that has always projected itself as a unifier as well as pacifier yet finds it appropriate to give a blind eye to atrocities visited on Palestinians by the Israeli armed regime.
The congratulatory remark by the US president amidst the bloodshed in Gaza strip shows the callousness and how far removed from reality the US foreign policy is and how much disregard he views the lives of Palestinians.
On Saturday, 12 May 2018, South Africans learnt of the death of Comrade Sam Nzima, the world famous photographer, who captured the immortal image of Mr Mbuyisa Makhubo, carrying the body of 13 year old Hector Peterson, gunned down by Apartheid forces on June 16, 1976. It was a picture that removed the veil on the ruthlessness and brutality of the Apartheid regime. Just two days later, we are awakened to the realisation that the apartheid regime lives on in Israel, with its crude viciousness.
We watched in complete disbelief as a people, who continuously remind us all about the hate and prejudice, Jews went through during Hitler’s antisemitism reign, will exhibit the same cruelty less than a century later.
We applaud the South African government for the immediate recall of our Ambassador to Israel, Mr Ngombane. We equally endorse the resolution taken at the ANC’s 54th National Conference to downgrade the South African Embassy to a liaison office.
The African National Congress itself and its leadership, once a target of a Nazi-like Apartheid regime, will never tolerate any system that treats and regards other human beings as insignificant. No amount of pontification by Israel or its government propaganda or its citizens, can be able to camouflage their participation in a systematic oppression of the Palestinian people.
All South Africans must rise up and treat Israel like the pariah that it is. In our struggle against the apartheid regime, governments did not give us support initially, but the people did. Some around the world shunned South Africa and its supporters. Just as progressive Dutch and British people, on their own volition, rejected White South Africa, so too must South Africans of Jewish faith and culture also stand up and reject Israeli oppression of Palestinians.
As South Africans, we can and should know better.
The ANC calls on all South Africans to demonstrate to the world that we regard the Israeli government and its armed forces as an outcast and blight on humanity.
The ANC will over the next few days seek to meet with the local Palestinian solidarity organisations, so that as South Africans, we express our collective support for the liberation of Palestine.
We would like to express to the Palestinian people that their suffering willl not be in vain, and our freedom and liberation will never be complete until they are free.
Issued by Pule Mabe, National Spokesperson, ANC, 15 May 2018
