COSATU condemns anti-ANC Zionist Rally in support of genocide against Palestinians by Israel
COSATU is alarmed that 20 years into our democracy, we still have remnants of apartheid apologists and rogue elements within South African society, though isolated and very few, but remain determined to defend genocide and colonial occupation by Israel.
The So-called Rally in defence of Israel, further entitled, "Stop the ANC hostility against Israel" is the 20thcentury shame and open attack against the movement for its decisive and principled stand in defence of the struggle against apartheid, colonialism and discrimination, which it led with pride for years in the context of South Africa.
The fact that these elements would have such courage to abuse our democratic space to advance prejudices that equal crimes against humanity, as well as shameful, racist and unpopular sentiments, points to the extent to which the world has allowed itself to be taken for granted by custodians of suffering, occupation and colonial expansionism.
Israel has appropriated itself the sole right to contravene international law and bully the whole world into cowardly submission, in the way the UN has been rendered such a pitiful object of apology instead of dealing decisively with this new global centre of human shame and suffering.
We reiterate our call for a decisive global movement against apartheid, anti-Semitism, Zionism, racism, colonialism and fascism, which are the prime evils haunting the human race today and must be fought with all the energies at our disposal.
We reaffirm our belief that all oppressed and colonised people have a moral and political duty to fight and fight to the end, for their liberation, for no victory comes from pity and charity of the oppressor, but from the resoluteness of the struggles of the oppressed.
Therefore, we unequivocally support the just and legitimate struggles of the Palestinian people to free their country, land and people. Israel shall never give an inch of freedom without resistance and struggle, as was the case with apartheid South Africa. We cannot have a whole world held to ransom by one pariah state, called Israel, having the licence to murder children and innocent civilians in the name of self-defence.
We therefore, reject with the contempt it deserves, the rally in support of colonialism, apartheid and occupation by Israel held by the notorious Zionist Federation, a key ally of the apartheid regime in South Africa against the liberation movement led by the ANC, even at the height of the anti-apartheid struggle in the country.
COSATU will be engaging a programme aimed at drawing in wider layers of progressive forces towards a coherent, sustainable and effective programme to take the momentum of global solidarity with the Palestinian people to new heights. It shall start with a broader Civil Society Forum, to be held next week Friday, the 1stAugust, 2014 in Johannesburg.
Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, July 22 2014
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
