Alwaght- South Africa’s ruling party, African National Congress (ANC), called on its leaders and members not to visit Israeli regime.
“We reiterate that we discourage travel to Israel for ANC leaders, members and representatives for business and leisure purposes,” middleeastmonitor.com cited President Jacob Zuma as saying in a speech during the party’s 104th birthday celebrations held in the city of Rustenburg.
He said the ANC supports the isolation of businesses in the UN list that operate in the occupied territories in Palestine.
“The ANC encourages our government to continue its program of talking to all parties in the Palestinian territory and calls on the people of Palestine to work together to bring about self-determination,” Zuma said.
South Africa’s ANC is sympathetic to the Palestinian struggle. Many of its leaders have previously been quoted in the media saying Israeli occupation of Palestine is worse than what South Africans experienced during the apartheid regime.
“Apartheid in South Africa was a picnic compared to what we have seen in the occupied territories,” Parliamentary Speaker & ANC chairperson, Baleka Mbete was quoted by local media after returning from a visit to Palestine in 2015.
In October last year, the ANC’s National General Council recommended that travel to Israeli regime be discouraged unless it promotes solidarity with the Palestinian issue.
During the same month the ANC hosted a delegation of top Hamas officials led by Khaled Mashal, which angered Israeli officials.
“We are not picking sides in the Middle East; we have met Israel many times and discussed the issues. They themselves have said they believe South Africa has a role to play to help both sides,” he said.
Zuma said that his country maintains strong relations with both Israelis and Palestinians through diplomatic missions.
He said South Africa supports international efforts aimed at the establishment of a viable Palestinian state that exists side by side with Israel based on 1967 borders.
However, he warned that the continuous building of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian lands is a hindrance to the peace process and a two-state solution.
