Thousands of South Africans, mostly from the country’s 80 000-strong Jewish community, joined a rally in Johannesburg on Sunday in support of Israel.
Waving Israeli flags and holding placards declaring “We want peace” the crowd released doves into the skies and observed a minute’s silence for victims of recent suicide bombings.
The leader of the small African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) Kenneth Meshoe, told the demonstrators that his movement would not support any South African party wanting to cut ties with Israel.
“We will not support parties that want to cut diplomatic ties with Israel,” Meshoe said at the rally organised by the South African Zionist Federation.
Guest speaker Eliezer Cohen, a Israeli MP, condemned Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian leaders over the wave of violence that has engulfed the region since September 2000.
“Israel is serving again as a guinea pig for the world in being the frontline in the war against terror,” he said, vowing that Israel would never give up its self-declared sovereignty over Jerusalem.
The South African government under the African National Congress (ANC) has been vocal in its support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, but also said it recognised the right of the Israelis to live in their own state within secure boundaries. – AFP