Cape Town -
Members of the Islamic Unity Convention have called on the government to do more than just condemn what they describe as evil acts against Palestinians, and to sever all ties with Israel.
This emerged during their march to Parliament on Friday, during which convention spokesman Nizaam Toefy said the government should demonstrate its respect for human rights by putting pressure on Israel to release all Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons.
They also demanded that “Israel cease its systematic use of administrative detention as a mechanism of detention and punishment against Palestinian society, and interference with political processes”.
“We call upon the international community to demand that Israel incorporate the international recommendations of the UN and EU bodies in order to address the deteriorating human rights conditions of Palestinian prisoners, and to end its violations of international law,” they said.
The marchers, who held aloft placards reading “Occupation is a crime” and “Israel out of Palestine”, lambasted the US for supporting Israel and burnt an Israeli flag.
Toefy said the march was a reminder to South Africa that Palestine was suffering the same violations that South Africans suffered under apartheid.
He said the apartheid and the Zionist regimes were racist, brutal and evil.
In their memorandum of demands, the organisation said South Africa should cease all military co-operation and place a trade embargo on Israel.
They also called on the government to recall the South African ambassador to Israel, and to elevate the status of the South African mission in Palestine.
A representative in the office of the Department of International Affairs, Nomawethu Sandi, accepted the memorandum on behalf of the minister and said it would be sent to Pretoria.
Saturday Argus