Democratic Alliance exposed as friend of Apartheid Israel

The ANC Youth League Western Cape is shocked that Democratic Alliance (DA) leaders including Yusuf Cassim, a Member of Parliament (MP), were funded, hosted and transported on a cosy visit to Israel by an Israeli lobby group and given special treatment by the Israeli government. The racist and Islamaphobic Israeli Apartheid government in fact needed to be warned, by its own embassy here in South Africa, that DA MP "Yusuf Cassim was a friend of Israel" and therefore an "exception" from all other people of colour - who are usually stopped and harassed. The letter has exposed that the Israeli government are so obvious and discriminate in their targeting of non-whites and Muslim people that Ben Gurion Airport security had to be written to by Michael Freeman, Israel's deputy ambassador to South Africa. 

In the letter deputy ambassador of Israel Freeman also placed on the record that the DA has good relations with the Israeli government. It can only be when you represent an Apartheid state that you would need to implore airport security to treat a Muslim or a person of colour "with respect". This exception places Yusuf Cassim and the DA firmly on the side of Apartheid Israel, which was recently exposed as having threatened South Africa with cyber-terrorism. We believe it is fair to say that the Embassy's letter and Israeli government's support for him, has given him the status of an "honorary white" in Apartheid Israel.

The Israeli Embassy letter sent to Israel's Ben Gurion [airport], as quoted in Israel's Haaretz newspaper, read: "We implore you to treat Mr. Yusuf Cassim with generosity and respect during the security checks. Please pass it along to all security officials to check Mr. Yusuf Cassim in a way that will leave a good impression and preserve the good relations between the DA [Democratic Alliance, Cassim's party] and Israel" (see Yusuf Cassim's reply on this here).

In his February 10th letter, Freeman also told Ben Gurion Airport security that the delegation would be visiting Israel on February 15-19. He stressed that the Ambassador to South Africa Arthur Lenk knows the DA visitors and their itinerary in Israel, and would be joining officials from Israel's Foreign Ministry to meet with them here.

The DA must explain who funded this trip? Was it funded by the SA-Israel Forum which is backed by the notorious company called CapeGate (the South African company that supplies equipment for the construction of Israel Apartheid Wall). Why did they go on the trip? What did they do on the trip? What was the role and reason for the Israeli embassy's special treatment? What makes them a friend of the Israel government? 

The deputy ambassador of Israel must explain why they give the DA special treatment? He must also on behalf of his government clarify what other benefits the DA enjoy as a friend of the Israeli government? Why he felt it necessary to write a letter to the airport security in order of Yusuf be be treated humanely? Who are friends of the Israeli government and who are enemies of the Israeli government.

Yusuf Cassim should clarify if he is a "friend of the Israeli government" and what his views on the Israeli occupation, Israel's Apartheid wall, Israel's Apartheid policies, Israel's treatment of African refugees, the settlements, the bombing of Gaza and murder of children by the Israeli government is. 

We implore the media and public to investigate and expose the abnormal relationships between foreign and oppressive embassies and certain opposition parties who act as their puppets. The DA and the Israeli embassy have been exposed and the people of the Western Cape in particular can see that the DA is an Apartheid Israeli government sympathiser 

Statement issued by Cde Andile Mbali, ANC Youth League Western Cape Secretary and Cde Marissa Van Rensburg, ANCYL Western Cape Deputy Provincial Secretary, February 27 2015

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter