Israeli air raids on Syria at the weekend killed at least 42 soldiers
The department of international relations and co-operation would not go so far as to support the growing calls for boycotts of Israel in the wake of escalating international anger about the country’s attack on Syria, even though it has condemned the air strikes on the civil war-ridden country.
More than 70 000 people have died in the two-year-long Syrian civil war. South Africa’s policy on Syria has rarely strayed from that of its Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China) partners – it will not support any moves to remove President Bashar al-Assad.
On Wednesday, the department said it condemned the strikes but maintained its support of the sovereignty of Syria, and that a military solution to the conflict is not possible.
South Africa has said it would not support sanctions of any kind against Syria or Israel, in spite of calls for boycotts on home soil.
Kathrada's 'surprise'
This week, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and struggle icon Ahmed Kathrada called on actor Morgan Freeman to explain his decision to accept an Israeli award. Freeman was nominated for the Key of Knowledge award by the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on Monday. The award was purportedly for his philanthropic work.
Tutu reportedly wrote to Freeman to ask him to explain his decision to accept the award. Kathrada, meanwhile, wrote to Freeman expressing his “surprise” that he had accepted the award.
Both Tutu and Kathrada are openly opposed to Israel's oppression of Palestine.
World-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking joined their call this week by joining an academic boycott of Israel. Hawking had initially accepted an invitation to speak at a conference hosted by Israel's President Shimon Peres.
The British Committee for the Universities of Palestine published a statement, reportedly with Hawking’s backing, saying he had changed his mind about attending the conference based on his knowledge of Palestine, and upon the advice of his Palestinian contacts.
South Africa previously condemned Israeli attacks on Palestine without supporting boycotts of Israel.
Department of international relations spokesperson Clayson Monyela said the second and third air strikes against Syria constituted a “serious” breach of international law.
“These attacks are an extremely dangerous escalation of the crisis in Syria, which could have dire implications for the stability of the entire Middle East region. South Africa calls for calm and implores countries of the region to refrain from further military action,” Monyela said.
'Disastrous consequences'
Monyela said any foreign involvement or military action in Syria would have “disastrous consequences for the region”.
“It is further essential that the supply of foreign weapons to all parties in Syria be stopped as it results in the increasing militarisation of the conflict.
“South Africa has persistently called on all the parties in the conflict to stop the violence as well as respect and protect the rights of the Syrian population," he said.
“Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, South Africa has condemned all human rights abuses in particular violations of the rights of vulnerable groups, such as women and children. All the parties in the current conflict have the responsibility to protect and preserve human rights.
“South Africa reaffirms its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and maintains that any political transition must reflect the will of the Syrian people. South Africa rejects any calls for regime change and outside military interference or any action not in line with the Charter of the United Nations,” Monyela said.
He said the country further supports the efforts of the joint special envoy of the United Nations and League of Arab States, Lakhdar Brahimi, “towards moving the parties to the negotiating table".
“The only sustainable resolution to the conflict is if the parties agree, without precondition, to meet each other in dialogue to discuss the future Syrian political dispensation along the lines agreed to in the Geneva Communiqué of 2012,” Monyela said.
'Provocation'
ANC deputy secretary general Jesse Duarte also condemned Israel's attacks, calling them a “provocation” that would only escalate hostilities in the region.
“We believe that the cessation of hostilities by all protagonists is a precondition for the evasive attempt to save lives and bring about lasting peace,” she said.
The party, like the international relations department, was quick to point out its support for the sovereignty of Syria.
“We call on the United Nations to prevail on external forces to respect the sovereignty of Syria and to allow Syrians to work together in resolving their disputes,” she said.
South Africa joined its other two Brics partners, Brazil and India, in abstaining from the 2011 UN Security Council vote, along with Lebanon. Opponents of the resolution, like South Africa, refuse to condemn the Assad regime.
Further developments saw India, Brazil and South Africa again refusing to condemn the Assad regime.
No military solution
In July last year, Deputy Minister of International Relations Ebrahim Ebrahim said South Africa believed there was no military solution to the conflict.
"The international community must urgently respond to the escalating violence in Syria in a stern and balanced manner, based on the realities on the ground. It is incumbent on the UN Security Council to express strong and unified support for Mr [Kofi] Annan and to call on all parties to cease the violence immediately.
"The UN charter after all determines that the Security Council should make proposals for conflict resolution and address failures of implementation with its decisions, and that it should do so: 'without prejudice to the rights, claims and positions of the parties concerned'.
"South Africa will therefore support any decision of the Security Council that is balanced and geared towards supporting Mr Annan’s call for all sides in the conflict to adhere to their commitments under his six point plan,” Ebrahim said.
An Algerian diplomat replaced Annan at the helm of the UN Arab League Special Envoy to Syria in September last year.
In March this year, reports emerged that a missile – a chemical weapon – was fired into a Syrian province, killing 31 people and injuring a further 100.
Again, South Africa held its line by condemning the violence and the use of chemical weapons; it said there was no military solution to the crisis in Syria, but it would not call for Assad to step down.
Ebrahim said in March that “South Africa reaffirms its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria".
"The only way to stop the further destruction of Syrian society is for the parties to come together in dialogue without delay."