The slanderous rant directed at former Minister of International Relations Minister and Co-operation by the vice –president of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), Zev Krengel is disingenuous and opportunistic. The decision to downgrade the South African embassy in Israeli into a liaison office is not a Sisulu policy but a government policy.
Comrade Lindiwe Sisulu implemented the policy of the South African government and it is, therefore, opportunistic to single her out. We salute Comrade Lindiwe Sisulu for honestly implementing the Alliance policies in support of the Palestinian people.
The SAJBD never forgets to remind people that it represents South African Jews, not the Israeli government, while at the same time lobbying for the murderous apartheid Israeli regime.
The board should also stop pretending that it speaks on behalf of all South African Jews. They have proven time and again that they are not loyal to this country and they will do anything to sabotage and divide this country on behalf of the genocidal regime of Israeli.
Any organisation that lobbies on behalf of the murderous Zionist regime should not be taken seriously by any properly adjusted people. Israel has violated numerous international and humanitarian laws and defied several United Nations Resolutions. These include the deliberate bombings of ordinary people, assassinations and murder of political leaders, depriving entire populations of access to basic resources, denying them the freedom of movement, detaining children without trial and torturing thousands of Palestinians.
Let us all embrace and stand by the courageous principles of this country’s founding stalwarts, who left us a legacy of tolerance and the unambiguous denunciation of oppression and injustice. We call on our government to continue speaking out against the oppression of Palestinians and express its disapproval of the barbaric and backward actions of the Zionist state and its defenders. We have been victims of state-sponsored injustices for over three hundred years {300} in this country, and we have a moral obligation to always side with those, who are fighting for tolerance, justice and fairness around the world.
We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Palestine and we are calling for an end to the evictions of the Palestinians. We are fully behind the call for all political prisoners and detainees to be released immediately. Our Federation supports the formation of an independent Palestinian state with East-Jerusalem as its capital. The Israelis must affirm the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland
Issued by COSATU
Sizwe Pamla (Cosatu National Spokesperson)
Tel: 011 339 4911
Fax: 011 339 5080
Cell: 060 975 6794