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ANCYL to step up condemnation of Israel

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The ANCYL has vowed to step up its efforts in condemnation against the Israeli attacks on Gaza, until government takes serious steps to expel the current Israeli ambassador to South Africa, Arthur Lenk, as well as severe all ties with what it called the ‘Apartheid state of Israel’.

In a statement issued on Wedneday, the ANCYL welcomed the ‘progressive and clear statements’ issued by the likes of ANC spokespersom Jessie Duarte, and ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani, but said government needed to deploy the ‘walk the walk’ approach, by expelling Lenk from the country. They also urged government to immediatly recall the countries own ambassador to Israel.

They also lambasted opposition parties for using the Gazan conflict as motivation for their own political gain.

“We will engage Cde Gwede Mantashe to express both the urgency and importance with which we see these demands. The ANC has always stood with the people of Palestine and we will never allow small opposition parties, some who claim to be revolutionary, to highjack platforms,” read the statement.

The statement urged government to heed the call of the overwhelming majority of South Africans, many of whom have come out in their thousands to protest against the Israeli aggression against the people of Gaza.

With the ANC having always been firm in its outright support for the oppressed in Palestine, the ANCYL urged the majority ANC led government not to undermine its own conference resolutions on the matter.

“The ANC and its leagues have never and will never be neutral on the attacks on Gaza and the ongoing oppression of Palestine,” said the statement.

They also heaped praise on local protest organisers, for the discipline and dignified behaviour shown at the countless pro-Palestinian marches around the country since the start of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge.

“These were some of the biggest, if not the biggest, protest actions South Africa has seen, yet they were also incident free. These organisers the MJC, BDS South Africa, COSATU and various structures of the MDM have been an example to the country in how they have taken their demands to government,” it read.

They vowed to mobilise and support any further protest action, while also encouraging all its members, protest organisers and protestors to continue mantaining peace and order during these protests. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)


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