SA must stand with the oppressed people of Palestine

The Gauteng leadership of Al Jama-ah notes the developments in the Middle East and that some political parties in South Africa consider this to be “terror in Israel”. This reading of events in Israel shows a reluctance to stand with the oppressed people of Palestine.

For decades, Palestinians had had to endure of oppression and bullying from the Israeli government in the conflict over land and natural resources. Some parties have used this onslaught against Palestinians to gain favour from Israel’s influential business people and elites.

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We cannot afford to take a neutral position when it comes to the plight of Palestine. We must stand with the oppressed people of Palestine who have suffered the loss of their land for the past 75 years while the world looked the other way.

Progressive forces have condemned Israel at the UN since its formation, but nothing has happened. What is happening to Israelis right now as they fear for their lives, is the same reality the Palestinian people face.

We cannot, therefore, say the pain of an Israeli is more important that the pain of a Palestinian living under oppression, especially in Gaza. The people of Gaza have lived in fear, being defenceless and facing a brutal enemy who has no problem killing civilians – even entire families.

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The UN, with numerous other respected organisations like Amnesty International, openly condemn Israel, branding it practitioner of apartheid. Al Jama-ah fully aligns with this condemnation, as we refuse to turn a blind eye to Israel’s crimes against humanity.

Israel has been proven guilty of many human rights abuses for the last 75 years, making it a major terror group in the Middle East. Its consistent disregard for the countless organisations and UN resolutions condemning its racist policies and land theft is deeply concerning.

We stand behind UN Resolution 37/432 which reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial domination, apartheid, and foreign occupation by all available means, including the armed struggle.

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The Jewish Report of September 14 reported that Kenny Kunene, Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president and Joburg MMC for roads and transport, strongly opposed a proposal for the renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive.

This was astonishing to some of us who understand the struggles of the people of Palestine. The matter was discussed among coalition parties. The PA’s president, Gayton McKenzie also spoke against the renaming stating there were more deserving local heroes.

Kunene and McKenzie expressed their opposition during a talk at the Great Park Synagogue in Joburg where they shared insights from their recent trip to Israel. The renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive would be SA’s way to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.

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The argument that there are more deserving local heroes contradicts the fact that a number of South Africans have been honoured in many countries across the world as a way of showing solidarity with SA’s anti-apartheid struggle.

Nelson Mandela’s statues grace many countries and many roads bear his name, including in Jamaica, which has a history of slavery and its own national heroes.

Mandela famously said: “As long as Palestine is not free South Africa is not free.”

We observe that there is an identity crisis among members of some political parties in SA who have visited Israel but were oblivious to the Zionist apartheid regime’s treatment of Palestinians.

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Leila Khaled is an activist in the Palestinian resistance movement. For us she is one of the symbols of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.

-Amad is Al Jama-ah Gauteng leader