Hypocritical ANC stands with pariahs over Israel
8 August 2022
The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) is astounded by the African National Congress's (ANC) ill-conceived attempt to stand alongside an international pariah organisation and bash Israel with unique opprobrium amongst the nations of the world. The ruling party sees fit to ignore the over a thousand double war crimes committed by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) by firing rockets and mortars from civilian areas in Gaza towards civilian areas in Israel.
The ANC appears to have overlooked the fact that the majority of Palestinian civilians were killed by PIJ’s misfiring of rockets which fell short and landed inside Gaza. The SAZF could not find a single word of criticism or condemnation of this internationally-designated terrorist organisation in the ANC’s statement. Instead, the ANC blindly blames Israel for her right to self-defence from an entity that openly seeks her destruction.
Israel has the moral obligation and absolute right to defend her citizens from a genocidal grouping that has committed numerous acts of terror and violence in markets, restaurants and other gathering places inside Israel. The Jewish State has the responsibility and imperative to protect all her citizens from these horrific acts. Notwithstanding this, she has acted with extreme caution and restraint in this conflict, and ought to be commended, not condemned by the pitiful ANC.
The extent to which the ANC has recklessly ignored the key factors of the recent conflict cannot be overstated. It refuses to consider the danger in which PIJ has placed civilians during the attacks by selecting firing locations in densely populated urban areas. Israel on the other hand has gone far beyond the requirements and expectations of a modern military and international law to reduce civilian casualties. This includes evacuating buildings, aborting strikes on PIJ leadership and of course utilising Israel’s Iron Dome to protect urban areas.
The ruling party ignores its laundry list of domestic failures, including a lack of basic care services to millions of destitute South Africans living in poverty, poor sanitation, crime, lack of food, water, housing, electricity, medical services and employment opportunities. Instead, the ANC shifts the focus, perhaps deliberately, to a minor conflict which has no impact on the lives of South Africans.
Where Egypt, a fellow country in Africa, acted expeditiously to broker a cease-fire and save lives, the ANC’s government has simply fanned the flames of hate and enmity. What is perhaps worse, however, is how the ANC continuously panders to anti-Western countries, fails to condemn Russia’s horrific war on Ukraine, and is silent on numerous other unspeakable conflicts around the world.
That the ANC prefers to reserve its hate for the world’s only Jewish State simply places our country at odds with the rest of Africa and the Middle East, which is openly fostering warm relations with Israel. The ANC’s deplorable hypocrisy should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
Issued by Rolene Marks, Spokesperson, South African Zionist Federation, 8 August 2022
