By Zaakiyah Gabier

Local Palestinian solidarity organizations have lauded the African National Congress (ANC) recommendation to downgrade the South African Embassy in Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Palestine, calling it a bold step that is “more than just rhetoric”. At its 5th national policy conference this week, ANC international relations commission chairperson Merriam Segabutla said the party was concerned by the lack of commitment from Israel on Palestine and hoped this measure would pressure the Israel government.

In a statement, the South African Jews for Palestine (SAJFP) said they welcomed the fact that the ANC has heeded the call by Palestinians as well as those progressive Israelis who are working towards a just peace in Israel-Palestine.

“This is a concrete step beyond rhetoric. Israel must be held accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people and a clear message must be sent that there are no normal relations with an abnormal regime,” said the SAJFP.

At the national police conference, the ruling party said it wanted to “send a strong message about Israel’s continued illegal occupation of Palestine and the continued human rights abuses against the peoples of Palestine”.

Segabutla said: “The commission reaffirmed the ANC’s unwavering and steadfast commitment for the struggle of the people of Palestine. The commission expressed its disappointment by Israel’s lack of commitment towards peace with the Palestine people.”

The recommendation was first made by the ANC in the Western Cape, as it believes Israel has continued to treat Palestine with violence instead of attempting to reach a peace agreement.  The policy will go to the ANC’s national conference for ratification in December. The ANC Western Cape has called it the Oliver Tambo Resolution, after the stalwart.

According to Segabutla, there was, of course, another call for a complete and total shutdown of the South African Embassy in Israel. However, the dominant view was that of the downgrading of the SA Embassy in Israel.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) spokesperson, Kwara Kekana said this was “a principled decision by the ANC”.

Kekana explains that the downgrading of an embassy is a part of government sanctions. She added that this was a resolution that was sponsored by various provinces and not just the ANC Western Cape.
ANC Western Cape provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said the South African embassy has failed to achieve its necessary political objective over the past 22 years in moving Israel closer to a resolution on the Palestinian question.

Jacobs added that the main functions of the liaison office in Israel will be to provide consular services and it will not have “full diplomatic status in the country.”

While the ANC NPC has adopted the policy recommendation, the party’s national conference in December will still have to approve the resolution before it is final and government can implement it. VOC