Cape Town - A recent trip to Israel by five leaders of opposition parties, including IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has caused a furore. The parties claim they visited the country on a “study tour”.
Buthelezi, Bantu Holomisa of the UDM, Cope’s Mosiuoa Lekota, Pieter Mulder of the FF+ and Kenneth Meshoe of the ACDP left last Sunday. They returned to SA on Friday on separate flights.
Their trip has sparked criticism from the ANC, other opposition parties, and the Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee lambasted the parties, saying it was premature for them to go Israel without the approval of all the opposition parties.
“But even if we were invited to go there, we wouldn’t have done so. I think it was an uninformed move by these opposition parties. Worst of it all is that the opposition parties involved don’t have the capacity to resolve any form of conflict,” said Gardee.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said he had no knowledge of the trip.
The ANC has called on South Africans to protest against Israel. The campaign included a call for a boycott of Israeli goods.
In August, while delivering a speech to US business representatives, President Jacob Zuma strongly condemned Israel’s use of military force in Gaza.
ANC spokesman in Parliament, Moloto Mothapo, said: “Our position has not changed regarding the struggle of our brothers in Palestine. We continue to support them.”
Regarding the trip, he said: “We were not aware of it or the reasons behind it.”
BDS said the trip was “embarrassing and indicative of desperation”.
The group’s Kwara Kekana said: “It is unfortunate but not surprising to see the IFP rushing to Israel’s defence. They simply don’t have a track-record of internationalism or progressive international policies.”
Kekana said it was a pity Lekota and Holomisa had joined Buthelezi. “These desperate parties, it would seem, will go to desperate measures. In the process,they are betraying the indigenous Palestinians and progressive Israeli allies who reject these pro-Israeli trips. This betrayal will have consequences.”
It is not clear who paid for the trip, but the BDS spokesman said the movement believed it was funded by the pro-Israeli lobby in South Africa.
The opposition parties said in a joint statement that the visit to Israel and consultations with the Palestinian authorities were undertaken in the best interest of South Africa.
“We have benefited from meeting with officials and leaders from both the Knesset of the state of Israel in Jerusalem, and the Mukataa of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.
“We believe South Africa should promote peace between the clashing sides,” the statement read. This visit was done with the full knowledge of both the ambassador of Israel, Arthur Lenk, and the ambassador of Palestine, Bassam Elhusiny.”
The two ambassadors could not be reached for comment.
Buthelezi referred Independent Media to the official joint statement put out by the parties. They said they had returned to South Africa with a much deeper understanding of the aspirations of both sides.
“We are now more convinced than ever that the South African government must not take sides, but must firmly stand on the side of peace.”
In July three members of the SA Students Congress were suspended for taking part in a trip to Israel after they were warned not to do so.
Weekend Argus