SA-Foreign-minister-Naledi-Pandor-and-her-Botswana-counterpart-Dr-Lemogang Kwape
The Pan Afrikanist Watchman
The human rights NGO Africa4Palestine welcomes the South African government’s decision of Monday November 6th 2023 to recall all remaining South African diplomats from Israel.
This is in protest of, what the South African government has termed as, Israel’s “genocidal airstrikes” and the “holocaust being committed by the Israeli government against the Palestinians.”
In 2018 already, following the ruling party’s 54th National Congress resolution to downgrade diplomatic relations and the SA embassy in Israel to a liaison office, South Africa officially withdrew its ambassador from Israel. South Africa has not had an ambassador in Tel Aviv since 2018.
In the last month communities across South Africa as well as political parties (including the ANC, EFF, NFP, Good, PAC, Al Jama-ah, SACP, etc.) have all come out in unison against Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian people.
The decision by the South African government to recall all remaining diplomats from Israel is a reflection of the South African peoples’ support for the Palestinians, for human rights and international law.
South Africa joins other countries including Colombia, Turkey, Bahrain, Bolivia, Chad and others who have taken similar diplomatic moves in the past week in protest against Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
South Africa, together with these countries, are on the right side of history. More countries of conscience should follow.
Meantime, Botswana has also reaffirmed her support and solidarity with the people of Paelstine in their protracted struggle for their inalienable right to selkf determination, freedom, peace and independence.
In a message released by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Lemogang Kwape on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity Botswana expressed deep concern that these rights remain elusive due to the occupying power’s illegal and destabilising actions in the occupied Palestine Territories including East Jerusalem.
“We therefore reiterate the call for a cessation of these actrions which include among others, violkations of human rights, illegal settlrement activity andn violence on the civilian populations by security forces.
Kwape said that it is regrettable that these violations are not met with firm measures of accountability by the international commubity particularly the United Nations Security Council which has the primary fresponsibility of maintaining international peace and security.
Nonetheless, Botswana cointinues to be in support of efforts that are aimed at finding a just, lasting and peaceful solution in accordance with relevant United Nations resultions and international law.
In this context, Botswana calls on both Israel and the State of Palestine to recommit to diplomacy and dialogue. The Government of Botswana also underscored its unwavering support for the ‘Two State Solution’ in which Israel and the State of Palestine coexist side by side in peace and security on the basis of the pre-1967 borders.
