S.African Govt proposal to downgrade Israel embassy rejected by Jewish board
[The South African Jewish board of Deputies is the Jews’ most powerful organisation in South Africa. These are the people who went after Snowy Smith for years and harrassed him into court. They and the gays are also main force behind the draconian hate-speech laws the Government has been thinking of. This is the same organisation that also liaised with the Jews in Canada when David Irving was in trouble.
In this instance the ANC Ruling party is thinking of downgrading the South African Embassy in Israel! The Jews don’t like!]
ANC proposal to downgrade Israel embassy rejected by Jewish board
Friday 7 July 2017 16:30
The Jewish Board of Deputies says it would be tragic if the African National Congress (ANC) were to adopt the Policy Conference recommendation that the country downgrade the status of its embassy in Tel Aviv.
The organisation says this will not be in the best interest of South Africa as a country known for peace-making. It says, however, that it will engage the party ahead of the December elective conference.
The South African Jews for a Free Palestine, has welcomed the Policy Conference resolution. The organisation says this is a concrete step beyond rhetoric that Israel must be held accountable for what it calls crimes against the Palestinian people.
The organisation’s Allan Horwitz says:
“We fully support such a move and we really hope that the SA government picks up on this resolution. The Israel state must understand that apartheid Israel must change and that the outside world puts maximum pressure.”
The Board of Deputies is, however dead-set against the possibility. They say South Africa will be best served by continuing to play a role of peacemaker in the area working towards the achievement of a two state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. SAJBD President Mary Kluk says they have already contacted the head of the ANC NEC subcommittee on International Relations Edna Molewa.
She added that they have been assured that a thorough investigation of the impact will be undertaken ahead of the ANC’s elective conference in December. Kluk says downgrading diplomatic ties with Israel will not be in the best interest of South Africa.
“We will be working closely with Minister Molewa and her team to make sure there is a comprehensive study done of such a downgrade of the embassy in Tel Aviv which will be tragic and serve no fundamental purpose in bringing about peace. And we believe SA has a real role to play hopefully in bring peace to the people of Israel and Palestine.”
African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) President Kenneth Meshoe says the ANC’s recommendation is disappointing.
“The decision for the recommendation is obviously based on half-truths. While we understand that over the years the ANC has been in solidarity with the Palestinian course, the fact is that much of what they call Palestinian suffering is not the whole truth as there are places that Palestinians call occupied territories that are not occupied territories.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on the other hand says it will only engage on the matter once it has become policy.