WebAdmin
Alameen Templeton
A call by local Zionists for South Africa to “recalibrate” its foreign policy on apartheid Israel is not only irrational, but steeped in the still-familiar racism and oppression of yesteryear.
That’s the view of Iqbal Jassat, head of the Media Review Network after the SA Zionist Federation made the call in an article entitled “Crucial crossroads – realigning South Africa’s foreign policy” on News24 last week.
“Does it surprise anyone…? Certainly not because the SAZF is by its own admission, an arm (pun intended) of the settler colonial regime.
“Its declared aim is to defend Israel at all costs,” Jassat notes as he points out the International Court of Justice has ruled just this month that Israel’s 70 years of occupation is actually an annexation, a theft, of Palestinian land, illegal under international law.
“Aiding and abetting Israel’s Illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories has been outlawed by the World Court’s latest groundbreaking judgment.
“This ruling has been welcomed by South Africa’s International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola, as it conforms to the country’s long-held position on illegal settlements,” Jassat writes in the Palestine Chronicle.
But he notes the SAZF’s Rowan Polovin, who wrote the “recalibration” article, remains detached from the flow of time that has washed away the shackles of South Africa’s past. The country is now steering a course that is redefining and clarifying international law according to compassion and a commitment to human rights as enshrined in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.
“And of course, informed by it, South Africa’s stance on Palestine aligns perfectly with our values of Ubuntu. To take a principled position against the horrific genocide committed by Israel in Gaza as South Africa has done by leading the world, particularly the global South, at the International Court of Justice, is an example of a foreign policy imbued with human rights,” Jassat writes.
He slams Polovin for falling back onto the claim Israel’s right to self-defence is enshrined in international law, noting the Nazi state routinely ignore or abuses those same laws on a daily basis. This is to be seen in its illegal settlements, that the ICJ ruled this month must be dismantled “immediately” and be handed back to their Palestinian owners.
It’s also ruled the “occupation/annexation” must end “as soon as possible” and that Israel must compensate Palestinians for their losses and damages. It must also end punitive home demolitions and the application of Israeli law on Palestinian land.
All these show conclusively that South Africa’s foreign policy is aligned perfectly with international law and that Polovin is calling for it to take a dead-end track.
“This climate of oppression and discrimination is known to most South Africans who were on the receiving end of white minority rule as apartheid, which is a perpetual atrocity committed by Israel against Palestinians.
“It is thus no surprise that our foreign policy is rooted in a paradigm that espouses a firm commitment to freedom and justice for Palestine.
“Polovin is completely out of depth by alluding that South Africa is “out of touch on the global stage”, whereas the facts are entirely different,” Jassat writes.
South Africa is not only correctly following international law; it is redefining it and taking leadership on the world stage, becoming a shining example for the rest of the world to follow, away from the dark shibboleths of the past.
“The articulation of sound legal arguments by South Africa’s galaxy of legal eagles at the International Court of Justice led the way for a host of countries to follow through.
“Far from being ‘out of touch’, it affirmed a stamp of approval for being in touch with the harsh reality of the worst form of genocide against Palestinian civilians.
“If anyone can be accused of being out of touch, it can only be the SAZF and fellow pro-Israel lobby groups,” Jassat adds.
Polovin and his fellow Zionists need to wake up to the new reality.
“Unlike the past, Israel’s gruesome violence and defiance of international laws, are vividly displayed on television screens throughout the world.
Indeed the correctness of South Africa’s foreign policy – both moral and legal – has been vindicated by the highest court of the world, the ICJ.
Al Jazeera’s summary of the court’s latest groundbreaking judgment underlines the relevance of South Africa’s foreign policies:
“The court said Israel has no right to sovereignty of the territories, is violating international laws against acquiring territory by force and is impeding Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
“It said other nations were obliged not to “render aid or assistance in maintaining” Israel’s presence in the territory. It said Israel must end settlement construction immediately and existing settlements must be removed, according to a summary of the more than 80-page opinion read out by Salam.
“Israel’s “abuse of its status as the occupying power” renders its “presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful”.
“If any “recalibration” is required, it must be by the relevant security and prosecuting authorities to investigate whether the SAZF is guilty of providing “aid or assistance in maintaining Israel’s presence in the OPT” in violation of the ICJ ruling,” Jassat concludes.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings