SACP welcomes overwhelming United Nations’ vote against apartheid Israeli settler regime’s occupation of Palestine
19 September 2024
The South African Communist Party (SACP) welcomes the United Nations General Assembly resolution calling on the Israeli regime to end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories within twelve months. We reiterate our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in their just struggle for freedom and strongly condemn the apartheid Israeli settler regime’s occupation of Palestinian land and continued violation of the Palestinian people’s human rights.
On Wednesday, 18 September 2024, the UN General Assembly, with 124 states voting in favour, demanded the colonial regime to end – without delay – its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The occupation constitutes a violation of international law. In addition, the resolution calls for reparations to Palestinians for damages caused by the Israeli occupation. This resolution follows the recent International Court of Justice advisory opinion, which found that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end.
Since it launched its genocidal offensive on 7 October 2023, the apartheid Israeli settler regime has murdered over 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza, of whom at least 75 per cent are children (16,480), women (11,378) and elderly people. Over 95,337 Palestinians have been injured, while over 7,000 are still buried under destroyed buildings and infrastructure, including over 5,000 children. These statistics are conservative given that there are many unaccounted people and there are others that the apartheid Israeli settler regime has killed in the West Bank.
The apartheid Israeli settler regime is worsening the situation in Gaza, including through malnutrition and dehydration, over and above the direct genocidal killings. At least 2,3 million Palestinians in Gaza now face starvation and disease because of the apartheid Israeli policy of starvation, in line with its broader genocidal strategy to exterminate the Palestinian people.
It is clear that the colonial Israeli regime is unprepared to heed the dictates of international law and does so with the express support of its imperialist benefactor, the United States.
The SACP will continue to take part in protests against the apartheid Israeli settler regime. We call for intensified unity among justice-loving people across the world, including co-operation of the people, governments and international bodies to isolate the apartheid Israeli settler regime economically, politically, culturally and otherwise. In particular, the world working-class movement should develop a leading role in this struggle for a just world order.
Issued by Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, National Spokesperson, 19 September 2024
