Al-Qalam 
(Photograph by Ashraf Hendricks/ Anadolu Agency/ Getty Images)
Surely, it is time to re-assess SA’s stance on Israel, Mr President!
Why would I say this?
By now, it is common knowledge about the return of the new far right Israeli Government under Binyamin Netanyahu. So in my expectations, SA must reassess its policy and sweetheart relationship towards Israel.
To do nothing, even in the face of the challenges of load-shedding and mis-governance would consecrate the abominable creed of apartheid.
Incredibly, most western governments and the media prefer to tiptoe around the issue for various unacceptable reasons bordering on hypocrisy and inconsistency with international norms.
However, we can no longer look the other way. The world has rightly ostracised the Taliban government of Afghanistan but has said or has taken no action vis-a-vis Israel. It is time for SA to rescind the visa waiver for Israeli citizens and officials for a start as well as to register its concerns through official diplomatic channels.
We can recall our ambassador and declare the Israeli ambassador persona non grata as a signal of our concerns that Binyamin Netanyahu has declared his top priority is to build more illegal Jewish-only settlements on occupied Palestinian land. He has said that he wants to ‘advance and develop settlement in all parts of the land of Israel including the occupied West Bank.
SA has, like the rest of the world, tepidly opposed these illegal settlements for aeons as an ‘obstacle to peace’ but has not taken effective action to stop Israel. For instance it could support the BDS strategy against Israel.
As a constitutional democracy whose ANC led government was once supported in its freedom struggle by the PLO, we talk about supporting a rules-based international system where international law and UN resolutions have a central and meaningful role in moderating the behaviour of states that abuse human rights.
We advocate sanctions against countries like Russia over the illegal invasion and occupation of parts of Ukraine. But we, and the rest of the world, have never imposed sanctions on Israel. This is why Israel continues to thumb its nose at the world and continues with impunity exceeding the abominations associated with the Nazis.
It is clear that ever since its birth, Israel has refused to engage in rational discussions on its human rights abuses. The time has come for stronger action.
In calling for our government to reassess its policy towards Israel, I submit that it must look deeper at the raft of comprehensive reports over the past five years at least.
Importantly we cannot ignore the fact that credible and respected bodies such as Amnesty International and BTsellem have declared Israeli policies as apartheid.
It is time to call in Israel’s free pass. It’s time to impose consequences.
Saber Ahmed Jazbhay
Durban
