Al-Qalam 
[Photo source - Middle East Monitor]
Amidst the barbaric terror unleashed on Gaza by Israel, the Leader of The National Freedom Party (NFP) Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam, is poised to table a motion calling for the isolation of the brutal Zionist State, writes Ismail Suder.
As the barbaric bombardment of Gaza intensifies, calls are growing louder for South Africa to shut down the Israeli embassy, expel its ambassador – and cut economic ties with the apartheid Zionist state.
Minutes after the Zionist forces carried out the second bombardment of the populated Jabaliya Refugee camp massacring scores of innocent civilians and injuring hundreds more – it prompted Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam, leader of The National Freedom Party (NFP) to exclaim, “This is slaughter, this is a war crime!”
“It is absolutely disgusting what Israel is able to do with the full support of Western Governments. This latest massacre in Jabaliya, once again underscores the importance of immediate sanctions against the Apartheid State of Israel,” he said.
The two bombings of the Jabaliya Refugee Camp on consecutive days claimed the lives of 195 civilians, including dozens of children.
Clearly shocked by the second attack on defenceless innocents at Jabaliya, Shaik Emam told Al-Qalam, that he would be tabling an urgent motion in parliament calling on the South African Government to cut all diplomatic ties with the apartheid state of Israel.
Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Imam said he would urge the Government to take similar actions as taken by Bolivia recently to shut down the Israeli Embassy. Meanwhile, Chile and Columbia had since recalled their ambassadors.
Former Bolivian Prime Minister Evo Morales demanded that Israel be classified as a “terrorist state” and for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and “his accomplices” to be hauled before the international criminal court for “genocide and war crimes”
In a statement, The NFP said it acknowledges that the ANC has publicly expressed support for Palestine.
“However, it is time for the ANC to translate these words into concrete actions. The Israeli government’s continued contravention of international law and the inhumane bombardment and ethnic cleansing of Gaza demands a robust response from the South African government.
“It is a matter of deep concern that the ANC has not taken the necessary steps to expel the Israeli ambassador and close the Israeli embassy, despite their stated commitment to the Palestinian cause. The NFP firmly believes that the time for action is long overdue. Thousands of civilians have been killed. We cannot stand by and watch this happen. We need to isolate Apartheid Israel, and we need to do it now.”
“The NFP acknowledges that many members of the ANC are pro-Palestine, and while we commend the efforts of the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in this regard, it remains deeply problematic that this support has not been fully reflected in the government’s actions. The NFP therefore, calls on the ANC to take decisive steps in line with their commitment to Palestine.
“Therefore, in light of Apartheid Israel’s contravention of international law and the unjust and inhumane bombardment of Gaza, the NFP urgently calls on the South African government to:
- Expel the Israeli Ambassador and close the Israeli Embassy
- Flag money transfers from South African Zionists to Israel as terrorist funding, as it is currently funding a war that is in contravention of international law.
- Revoke the citizenship of South Africans, who hold dual citizenship and are currently serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), an entity directly involved in the killing of Palestinian civilians.
- Implement a full trade boycott of the Apartheid State of Israel.
Meanwhile, Roshan Dadoo, spokesperson of the SA Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Coalition said it was time the Government took action against the criminal state of Israel.
“We reiterate our call on our government to declare the apartheid Israeli ambassador persona non grata and shut down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. The National Prosecuting Authority must expedite and prosecute the cases of South Africans who join the Israeli occupation forces in contravention of the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
“We further demand that our government implements policy guidelines for an academic, sports and cultural boycott of apartheid Israel and the institutions complicit in its war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the statement read.
