The petition, which was started by the South African Friends of Israel “demand[s] that the SA Government cease in its efforts to cut ties with the state of Israel.”
Over 26,000 South Africans have signed a petition in a bid to stop the South African government from its efforts to sever ties with Israel.
The petition, which was started by the South African Friends of Israel “demand[s] 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,” who was pulled from the country in the aftermath of the Gaza March of Return violence in which over 50 Hamas operatives were killed.
It was also started following concerns that the country’s ruling party, the African National Congress, would officially downgrade the South African Embassy in Israel – as it adopted such a resolution at its party conference in December.
“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,” the petition reads.
Its explanation stated that there are various interest groups including Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, the Arab League and organizations such as 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 offer any credible solution other than 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,” it said. “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.”
Read More: Jerusalem Post
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