Johannesburg - Africa4Palestine has welcomed the motion adopted by Parliament to support the downgrade of South Africa’s Embassy in Israel to a Liaison Office.
Africa4Palestine said they supported NFP (National Freedom Party) parliamentary leader, Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam,.
They said Emam explained that the downgrade should serve as a catalyst to start the process of progressively and completely isolating apartheid Israel.
The NFP said it was ecstatic that the draft resolution to downgrade South Africa’s embassy in Israel had been passed by Parliament.
NFP leader Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam and his party had to make sure that this resolution became government policy.
“We can no longer stand by while Palestinian human rights are being trampled on,” added Shaik Emam.
He said the resolution demanded accountability from Israel. It is a courageous move that demonstrates our commitment as a country to justice, human rights and freedom. The State of Israel was built through the displacement, murder and maiming of Palestinians.
“This institution of apartheid by the State of Israel contravenes international law and is a violation of the human rights of Palestinians. As South Africans, we refuse to stand by while apartheid is being perpetrated again,” said Shaik Emam.
The South African Zionist Federation’s (SAZF) National chairman Rowan Polovin said his organisation was appalled by the passing of the NFP’s parliamentary motion calling to downgrade the South African embassy in Israel alongside making false and inflammatory accusations against Israel.
“The motion does not represent the voice of most South Africans, who hold no ill will towards Israel, and must be viewed as a purely symbolic and domestic act by narrow-minded political actors.
“Its only achievement is to diminish South Africa’s international standing and ability to play any meaningful role in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Business relations and travel between South Africa and Israel will remain intact, while Israel continues to normalise relations with a number of other countries in the Middle East and Africa,” said Polovin.
The Star