The South African government has confirmed that Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will visit South Africa from Wednesday to Saturday and has defended the visit “in the context of ongoing efforts by South Africa to assist Israelis and Palestinians to find a long-lasting resolution to the political crisis currently affecting the Middle East”.
The visit has been slammed by the Muslim Judicial Council, the Palestinian Solidarity Group and Friends of Al-Aqsa, a national Muslim welfare organisation, which held a march through Cape Town on Saturday to “register” their opposition to Olmert’s visit.
Marchers delivered a memorandum to Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool calling on the South African government to use its international standing to lead the campaign for international sanctions against “apartheid Israel”.
This is the kind of solidarity the ruling African National Congress expected against apartheid South Africa, the organisations said.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Solidarity Group, Mercia Andrews — who spoke on behalf of the other groups as well — said Rasool pledged to respond to the marchers and promised to register their protest with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The groups expected Rasool’s response later on Monday.
Noting that further “advocacy” could be expected during the Israeli deputy leader’s visit, Andrews said Olmert — who is also his country’s trade minister — oversaw the construction of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land during his term as mayor of Jerusalem. He had destroyed farms, orchards and infrastructure.
Andrews stated: “We have requested the reasons for Olmert’s visit from the ministries of foreign affairs, agriculture, and trade and industry as well as the foreign affairs portfolio committee in Parliament.”
She said this was greeted with a thunderous silence.
But a foreign affairs spokesperson said: “South Africa supports the realisation of a two-state solution in the Middle East with an independent state of Palestine coexisting side-by-side with Israel within secure borders.
“In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister Olmert will pay a courtesy call on President Thabo Mbeki, meet with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad as well as Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa,” said the Department of Foreign Affairs. — I-Net Bridge