South Africa stands for Palestine and against Apartheid

The South African Zionist Federation accused President Ramaphosa of supporting terrorists and standing against peace.

On Saturday, October 14, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held a remarkable press conference, declaring solidarity with Palestine. Unsaid but obviously evident was opposition to Israel’s internal and foreign policy (which cannot be separated from Israel itself).

“(We) are all standing here pledging our solidarity with the people of Palestine. We stand here because we are deeply concerned about the atrocities that are unfolding in the Middle East…We have a full understanding of how the people of Palestine have taken up this issue, because they are people, as many countries and leaders in the world have opined, that have been under occupation for almost 75 years,”

Last month, before the Israel/Palestine war began, Ramaphosa’s speech to the United Nations included:

“We must work for peace in the Middle East. For as long as the land of the Palestinians remains occupied, for as long as their rights are ignored and their dignity denied, such peace will remain elusive. 

The actions of the Government of Israel have imperiled the possibility of a viable two state solution. 

The principles of the UN Charter on territorial integrity and on the prohibition on the annexation of land through the use of force must be applied in this situation.”

But timing is sometimes everything. It’s one thing to disagree with those bigger than you when they don’t fully care, another when they’ve got something to lose.

South Africa was already under pressure by USA’s unevidenced claims of it selling weapons to Russia, and the mock September trial in Congress regarding the massive AGOA trade agreement with South Africa. Israel is South Africa’s biggest trading partner on the continent. For South Africa, the situation may have gotten worse.

The Democratic Alliance, the liberal party and main opposition, has often been accused of being aligned and supported by Zionism. Considering next year’s elections, it will have to tread carefully lest it loses voters from its mixed base.

However, the smaller Patriotic Alliance, which will contest the elections for the first time, was opportunistic, possibly not siding with Israel for Israel but to try grab votes from the DA and the ANC. It’s leader, Gayton McKenzie, made it clear that only Israeli children matter.

The South African Zionist Federation only has one political message. It’s chairperson, Rowan Polvin, equated President Ramaphosa to supporting terrorists who murder Jews, standing against peace, and against the South African Constitution.

Standing for Palestine isn’t cheering terrorism; South Africa has always stood for peace in the Middle East; and the South African Constitution’s emphasis on human rights was the result of Apartheid ending i.e., most South Africans recognise Apartheid when it’s done to Palestinians.

Polvin added that “There are people out to get us.” Yes, there are, but not in the way he implies, nor for the reason Israel is pretending. Democracy isn’t selective, and mass child murder isn’t negotiable.