Petition to the South African Government to cease efforts to sever ties with State of Israel and to reinstate the SA Ambassador to Israel.
We, the undersigned, as representatives and members of civil society, political parties, religious institutions, schools, and student groups from all corners of South Africa, hereby declare our support for continued relations between Israel and South Africa, and urge all South Africans to demand that the South African Government cease in its efforts to sever ties with the State of Israel and to reinstate the SA Ambassador to Israel.
There are various interest groups including Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, the Arab League and organisations such as the BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement) that have aggressively lobbied the SA Government to adopt the position of severing ties, while practically none of them table any credible solution other than the call for the annihilation of the State of Israel.
The actions adopted by the SA Government are patently flawed for many reasons and do not serve the interests of the South African population. Such a move will be contrary to South African foreign policy which has always called for engagement with all parties to a conflict. This has been the consistent stance of the South African Government in all conflicts in Africa and beyond, for the last 24 years.
We note further that efforts to downgrade the South African Embassy in Israel will have a deeply negative impact on the South African Christian community (around 44 million Christians) who make up the vast majority of pilgrims to the Holy Land. Such a move will likely precipitate a souring of relations with a corresponding response from Israel.
A direct consequence of such a change in diplomatic relations with Israel will in addition violate South Africans’ constitutional rights with regards to freedom of movement, free choice and matters of faith.
Additional implications of the severing of ties includes the economic impact of job losses, travel and tourism, and trade and investments, all of which will have a direct effect on South Africa and its people.
We believe that South Africa has a moral obligation to support a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to distance itself from a radicalised position on Israel, which position simply undermines any hope of a negotiated process and peaceful outcome.
We therefore demand that the SA Government cease in its efforts to cut ties with the state of Israel and further call to reinstate the SA Ambassador to Israel.
Article source: www.change.org
I agree
I fully agree
Fully agree, South Africa need Israel’s technology more than ever.
We need North Korean technology too, should we ignore their poor human rights record too?
The Bible says I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you. If God said it….you better believe it!!!
Israel is a murderous and oppressive state. Beginning with the massive, forced removal of over 700 000 indigenous Palestinians in 1948 – people who initially welcomed the Jews – Israel has pursued an aggressive, deceitful and violent colonization. Now it dishonours the memory of Jews who died in Nazi ghettos by running a massive ghetto of it’s own in Gaza. It invades, takes and illegally occupies land belonging to indigenous Palestinians shoots unarmed protestors and medical assistants. It routinely breaks the law of Moses by taking a head for a tooth, a life for an eye.
Heidi, maybe you should also read the parts of the Bible where God punishes Israel.
Amen
Heidi, Paul later said ‘there is netiher Jew nor Gentile…’ and Jesus said, ‘Iam the way the truth and the light, no one comes to. The father but by me’. Those who reject Jesus are not God’s people. The scripture you quote needs to be contextualized.
Absolutely agree
Fully agree..!!
Israel leads the way in technology, and medical fields. Also a great part of our Christian Bible happened in Israel. They are tolarant to the 3 biggest religions in the world. So we want to keep on a good foot with them South Africa. Thank you for listening, keep our ambassador there!
Maryna Wolmarans, that sounds a bit like the bit in the Bible that describes how big and powerful Goliath was. And Israel really is the Goliath in this case. They have the best snipers – can and do take out a protester at a few hundred yards if she is standing still … and even if she is running away. They also lead the way with nuclear weapons in the middle East. They also lead the way with electronic counter-intelligence (i.e. counter-truth). It was an Israeli organisation that the Brexit crowd hired and that Trump hired during his campaign and the same organisation that Bell-Pottinger sub-contracted some of its dirty work to. It’s the poor Palestinians who come with slings and stones at the might of Israel and it’s big American brother.
Maryna, they also have more UN resolutions against them than any other country including N. Korea. The have invaded & annexed Palestine. If Zimbabwe were to do that, and impose an apartheid state, I think you would call them colonisers
I fully agree…
Although I agree whole heartedly, we must not forget that the ANC feel heavily endebted to the PLO / Hamas. Until the ANC learns to rid itself of all this “debt” as a yoke around their necks, they will always support the Palstinians no matter what the outcome. The Bill Pottinger organisation was, after many years of activity which is still bearing fruit. caught out with its racial hatred and division campagn in South Africa, which is still continuing. Question is, did thay institute a similar programme in Palestine. They may have changed their name but the Pottinger organisation, now based in Asia is still active.News coverage is obviously well organised as one , more often than not, only sees the Palestinian side in news reel footage.
Matthew, the hatred can be best summed up by the state of Israel who is guilty of blockading Gazans in an open air prison, controlling & limiting all supplies, even suggesting that just enough calories be allowed in to keep local inhabitants alive; bombing the enclave to the extent that independant studies have shown that more than 3/4 of the children suffer from PTSD; the illegal annexation, colonization & practice of apartheid on the West Bank Palestinians, who live in walled off areas, that make the Berlin wall look like child’s play. These Palestinians travel thru a series of checkpoints when they tend their farmlands. They live under military rule, with even ‘water apartheid’being allied on them, all the while illegal Jewish settlers enjoy massive privilege. Please think before writing such drivel!
The government has forgotten conveniently that prominent Jewish leaders were part of the struggle against Apartheid. Now they stab Istael in the back. Shameful!
Leana, those very leaders you mention are ones who are known to decry the state of Israel’s violent oppression of Palestinians. How convenient for you to remember that they are/were Jewish while forgetting what they stood for.
Those very same Jewish leaders who opposed an apartheid regime in South Africa, would have followed Madiba’s views that the struggle in South would not be complete without the emancipation of the Palestinian people.
As a born again Christian I remain shocked at the stance of Christians who support an evil, apartheid regime that is Israel. May I remind you of another OT reading in Isaiah 1:17 which says, ‘Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.’ yet you defend & support the cause of the regime that perpetrates human rights violations against the Palestinian people!