By Reneva Fourie
Our hearts bleed for Palestine. Apartheid Israel’s barbaric genocide in Gaza has now exceeded 290 days and appears no closer to ending. The figures are too ghastly to process. The death toll stands at over 39 000, with close to 90 000 injured and wounded, 70 per cent of whom are children and women.
More than 1,7 million are suffering from infectious diseases due to displacement. The destruction to medical, educational, cultural and religious facilities and socio-economic infrastructure caused by the 81 000 tons of explosives dropped onto Gaza are immeasurable. If watching the news has become too painful for us, how much worse is it for those subjected to daily airstrikes by apartheid Israel.
The excuse for this massacre remains Hamas' October 7 attack and its taking of hostages. The defenders of Israel's horrific atrocities still pander to the allegations of rape and beheadings while knowing full well that these allegations have been investigated and found to be untrue. Hamas did indeed take hostages for prisoner exchanges.
Still, the number pales compared to the thousands, including children, held captive by the Israeli government. In just the past ten months, five thousand Palestinians from Gaza have been detained by Israel. This includes 310 healthcare workers and 36 journalists. The number of detainees for the West Bank for this period exceeds 7000. While Hamas is treating the hostages with utmost care, the captured Palestinian civilians are subjected to brutal torture.
As South Africans, we are, therefore, in this July, compelled to recall Mr Nelson Mandela's fervent devotion to the Palestinian struggle and his famous words, ‘We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.’ His words reflect the strong bond between the formerly oppressed people of South Africa and the people of Palestine.
Besides sharing a common history of settler colonialism, there are similarities in how this oppression manifested. In South Africa, the marginalisation gave birth to apartheid when the National Party came to power in 1948. In 1948, Israel was also established, and the practices of apartheid were incrementally copied from South Africa and carefully applied to suit the times. Such practices included forced removals, institutionalised racism, segregated living areas, and the banning of mixed marriages.
By the 1960s, Israel was a close friend of apartheid South Africa and had established extensive military and commercial ties. In 1975, Israel and the government of South Africa signed a defence co-operation agreement on nuclear issues. By 1976, former Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, welcomed South Africa's John Vorster to Jerusalem by toasting ‘the ideals shared’ by Israel and South Africa. In the 1980s, Israel's defence industry was cash-starved until it struck a secret and unprecedented $1.7 billion deal to sell South Africa 60 Kfir combat planes (renamed the Atlas Cheetah).
Given the convergence of oppressive practices, relations between the South African and Palestinian liberation movements were established very early. Mandela visited the revolutionary leaders of Algeria in 1962, where he built links with Fidel Castro's Cuba and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Our similar experiences have consequently ensured the ANC's full-hearted support of the Palestinian struggle towards freedom.
This support will remain unwavering despite current efforts by defenders of Israel’s atrocities to portray a difference in the foreign policy approaches of former minister, Dr Naledi Pandor and the current minister, attorney Ronald Lamola.
Dr Pandor demonstrated relentless dedication to advocating the Palestinian cause since the inception of her role as Minister of International Relations and Co-operation. She has consistently emphasised the issue of peace in Palestine, a commitment evident in her inaugural Budget Vote address and her initial statement to the UN Security Council in October 2019. On this occasion she said,
Today we debate one of the longest standing subjects on the agenda of the Security Council. Our failure to find a resolution to the plight of the people of Palestine and to secure their peace and freedom is a profound stain against our stated mission and objectives. In the period since our last debate, the situation has deteriorated markedly, suggesting even less hope for peace.
Dr Pandor further persistently addressed the recurring instances of brutality and violence perpetrated against Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Her immense conviction and courage were evident despite facing a barrage of insults and threats. The threats, including those of physical harm, directed at her and her family increased after October 7. Nevertheless, she remained resolute in using both national and international platforms to condemn Israel's unequivocally unjust and inhumane conduct.
Anticipating a contrasting stance from Minister Lamola is ‘wishful thinking’. Minister Lamola has a solid track record of commitment to the ANC Youth League and, later, the ANC's international policy positions. During his tenure as Minister of Justice, he played a pivotal role in assisting Dr. Pandor and the Department in tabling the genocide complaint against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Furthermore, the minimum programme outlined in the GNU's Statement of Intent commits all parties to a ‘foreign policy based on human rights, … solidarity, peaceful resolution of conflicts … and a just, peaceful and equitable world.’ In line with the Statement of Intent, Minister Lamola stated the following in his July 11 Budget Vote address:
South Africa will continue to act with global institutions to protect the rights of Palestinians in Gaza and ensure the fair application of international law for all. Notably, South Africa will do everything in its power to preserve the existence of the Palestinian people as a group, to end all acts of apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people and to walk with them towards the realisation of their collective right to self-determination and this informed our application to the International Court of Justice.
The minister’s speech confirms that South Africa’s position on Palestine will remain.
But the wedge-driving efforts are to be expected. It was surprising when the Democratic Alliance suddenly advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza and acknowledged the State of Palestine. Now that our elections have been concluded and the GNU has been established, the actual colours of those political parties who historically supported Israel, such as the DA, are once again emerging. It has become apparent that the former display of empathy towards Gaza has been a strategic manoeuvre. They are now attempting to align foreign policy with their own interests.
Fortunately, the vast majority of South Africans will not allow the commitment to the Palestinian people to be derailed. Driven by the slogan, ‘An injury to one is an injury to all’, their voices in defence of Palestine will continue to boom until it is free from the river to the sea.
* Dr Reneva Fourie is a policy analyst specialising in governance, development and security.
** This article expresses the views of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media