‘SA’s feckless Israel stance’

The South African Friends of Israel is celebrating Israel’s growing ties in Africa, following the- announcement by Chadian President Mahamat Déby that Chad is to open an embassy in Israel this month.

The Chadian leader recently travelled to Israel for the opening of the embassy in Ramat Gan. He said Chad and Israel were at a turning point in their relationship. This follows waves of peace talks in the Middle East and Northern Africa, which have seen a big increase in economic cooperation.

The news of Chad formalising its diplomatic ties to Israel was followed by reports that Israel and Sudan would sign a “historic peace agreement” in Washington in a few months’ time.

Sudanese agreement

The Sudanese agreement is particularly important because it overturns the Khartoum Resolution of 1967, which was issued at the conclusion of the 1967 Arab League summit in Khartoum in the wake of the Six-Day War. The resolution is famous for containing what became known as the “Three Nos”: “no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it”. This has been shattered this year.

Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu recently commented that the Three Nos has been replaced with Three Yeses for peace. These celebrations come at a critical time for the Jewish state, ahead of the African Union’s (AU) vote on Israel’s observer status in the regional body.

While 44 out of 55 members of the AU have diplomatic relations with Israel, South Africa has led a hostile campaign against SA’s feckless Israel stance to remove it from the AU.

The fact is that Israeli technology and innovation have provided a stable water supply to over 3.5 million people in Africa and to over half a million people in SA as well. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor won’t pick sides when it comes to Russia and its war on civilians in Ukraine.

But when it comes to Israel it’s a hard no.

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This is based on a misguided perception that has never served Palestinians or Israelis at all. We must reject the appropriation of the suffering of black people under colonisation and apartheid by the enemies of Israel as a tool to delegitimise the Jewish state.

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East that is home to a multicultural society where the rights of all religions, minorities, ethnicities and beliefs are protected. Yet the ANC continues to feel threatened by Israel’s growing ties in Africa.

‘Apartheid state’

So much so that our national government allows the narrative of an “apartheid state” to consume all conversations about Israel in SA. Israel has shown itself to be a valuable partner for sustainable development in its relations with all African nations.

As South Africans, we need to promote peace in the pursuit of a balanced view that reflects the reality on the ground. South Africa’s foreign policy should take a dehyphenated approach if we are to contribute meaningfully to securing peace for the people in both territories.

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This will ensure South African access to the best Israel has to offer while creating a safe space for difficult conversations to address the senseless violence and suffering that has destroyed families across both borders. Ngubane is spokesperson for SA Friends of Israel