'You see, for some, when they are caught out undermining clean governance for the people, and zero tolerance for corruption, they move towards racial victimhood,' Mmusi Maimane said. (David Harrison/M&G)
The Palestinian embassy says it has no record of meetings between Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane and any Palestinian official in Ramallah.
It released a statement on Monday saying that Maimane had not informed the embassy of his intention to visit the region and that no meetings had been arranged with the Palestinian Authority as Maimane has claimed.
The statement comes after Maimane met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders in his private capacity during a visit to the region.
A picture of Maimane shaking hands with Netanyahu circulated on social media, drawing criticism from pro-Palestinian supporters in South Africa, including the ANC.
Despite maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel, the South African government has stood in solidarity with Palestine, saying Israel has acted unjustly and illegally occupied Palestinian territories.
The ANC criticised Maimane for visiting Israel, particularly so soon after the fate of Palestine was discussed by the United Nations Security Council.
ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said on Monday: “At a time when the world is increasingly standing up against Israel’s illegal settlements, including the United Nations Security Council, it is a pity that the DA is endorsing the Israeli regime instead of condemning its violations of international law.”
The DA defended Maimane’s visit, saying he made the trip “in order to listen and learn about the conflict first hand and to discuss how South Africa should be playing a more constructive role in bringing the parties together for peace”.
The party also said Maimane had met both Palestinian and Israeli leaders, but that a meeting between the DA leader and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had been cancelled as a result of schedule conflicts.
The Palestinian embassy said Maimane had made “allegations of his meetings with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority”, but had failed to name any officials he had met.
It added that in visiting Israel, Maimane had also ignored President Jacob Zuma’s discouragement of any travel to Israel by South Africans.
“The people of Palestine continue to suffer in their rightful quest for self-determination. “The ANC pledges its ongoing solidarity and support for their just cause,” Zuma said in his speech at the ANC’s 105th anniversary celebration earlier this month.
“We reiterate that we firmly discourage travel to Israel for causes not related to fostering peace in the region.”
Critics such as Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema have made unsubstantiated claims that the DA receives funding from Israel. Maimane’s visit has been perceived as a reinforcement that the party does not support Palestinian sovereignty.
DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damme has refuted the statement released by the Palestinian embassy, saying “countless emails” were sent between Abbas’s and Maimane’s offices.
South Africans are not required to have a visa to travel to Palestine and therefore do not need to inform the Palestinian embassy of their intention to visit.
The Palestinian embassy said it only knew through media reports that Maimane had visited Palestine.
According to the department of international relations and co-operation, “all travel to the Palestinian Territories is controlled by Israel”. Travellers who wish to enter may do so if they have met the requirements to travel to Israel.
On Friday, 702 presenter Redi Tlhabi suggested Maimane should by now have enough of an understanding of Palestine and Israel to know better than to contribute to diplomatic tensions as he has done.
UPDATE, January 17 1pm: On Tuesday, the DA released a press statement saying they had requested a meeting with Abbas in a letter sent to the PA’s protocol office on January 2. The DA says it then received a phone call from the protocol office confirming they had received the letter. Communication was also made with the South African mission Ramallah. The emails exchange and phone calls continued until January 9 – the day Maimane’s meeting with Abbas was cancelled.
