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Statement by Deputy Minister A Pahad to the National Assembly
on THE Discussion: The Situation in Isreal and Palestine and in Particular the
Arrest and Detention of members of the PLO, 6 June 2007, Cape Town Deputy
Speaker Today as we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 6 day war, it
is important to remind ourselves of some basic truths. I must reject the
notion that this debate is a "waste of time" The opposition's
remarks remind me of the story of Rip von Winkle, who went up a mountain and fell
asleep for 20 years. When he came down from the mountain he realised that a revolution
had taken place in America while he was asleep. Sadly it seems that the
opposition has been asleep for over 40 years. Today nobody challenges the assertion
that unless we resolve the issue of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people
for self-determination, regional and international peace and security continues
to be threatened. Despite distortions South Africa's policy on the Middle
East Peace Process continues to be informed by the following principles:
- the
inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and independence,
which entails a principled position against the military occupation of the Palestinian
people and their land.
- a belief that there can be no military solution
to the conflict and that peaceful negotiation is the only means of ensuring lasting
peace, security and stability. The foundations would be a 2 state solution, i.e.
a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital
living side by side with a secure Israel state.
- A comprehensive peace
agreement between the Arabs and Israel based on the Arab Peace initiative of 2002.
- a
negotiated solution to the refugee problem.
- a commitment to multilateralism
in order to secure a sustainable solution.
Deputy Speaker Today
there is a misguided campaign to depict our policies in the Middle East as being
"one-sided", "biased," partisan" and "lacking objectivity." More
dangerously - our policies are described as being "anti-Semitic." What
is the truth? As early as 1975 the international community recognising
that the inability to solve the Palestinian issue threatened international peace
and security in UN Resolution 3236 (XXIX of 22 November 1975) defined the inalienable
rights of the Palestinians as: - The right to self-determination without
external interference
- The right to national independence and sovereignty
- The
right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they
had been displaced and uprooted.
Many other UN resolutions, decisions
of the International Court of Justice and other international institutions have
confirmed this position. Let me unequivocally state that we are one-sided
and partisan when it comes to supporting the inalienable rights of the Palestinians
for self-determination. This is the position supported by the vast majority
of the world. We will not be silenced because of the erroneous suggestions that
criticisms of the Israeli government policies are anti-Semitic, one-sided and
not objective. The ANC since its inception has been in the forefront in
the fight against anti-Semitism and this position will never change. Our
policy on the Middle East Peace Process - is firmly based on all the relevant
UN Security Council resolutions, the Oslo frame of reference, and the Arab Peace
Initiative. We make no apologies for the fact that South Africa is partisan
when it supports calls for the creation of a Palestinian State based on the 1967
borders and with east Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side and in peace
with Israel. We are partisan when we publicly condemned the construction
by Israel of the Separation Wall. We were partisan when we presented a written
legal argument to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and also participated
in the oral deliberations in The Hague on 23 February 2004. Our policy
is not determined by a "lunatic fringe". The International Court
of Justice found on 9 July 2004 by fourteen votes to one that - "The
construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated
régime, are contrary to international law;
- Israel is under an obligation
to terminate its breaches of international law; it is under an obligation to cease
forthwith the works of construction of the wall being built in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, to dismantle forthwith the
structure therein situated, and to repeal or render ineffective forthwith all
legislative and regulatory acts relating thereto;
- Israel is under an obligation
to make reparation for all damage caused by the construction of the wall in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem;
- All
States are under an obligation not to recognize the illegal situation resulting
from the construction of the wall and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining
the situation created by such construction;
Deputy Speaker South
Africa's so called lack of objectivity finds expression in our support for democracy
and the outcomes of the democratic process in Palestine as well as in Israel.
We can't demand democracy and then when the people of a country democratically
elect a government, we are expected to reject the people's democratic choice.
Therefore it is perfectly acceptable for the Government of South Africa to recognise
the democratically elected Hamas led government, which is now a Palestinian Government
of National Unity. We are "partisan" when we criticise governments that
continue to refuse to recognise the Palestinian Government of National Unity and
continue to impose sanctions against the government. Are we are biased and
partisan when we unequivocally proclaim that until a comprehensive, just and permanent
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is found, the Middle East region
will remain a threat to world peace and security. We are also unapologetic
when we declare that the Arab Peace Initiative for a comprehensive peace between
the Arabs and Israel is in the interest of all the people in the region including
the Israeli people and is the best guarantee of regional and international peace
and security. Are we biased and anti-semitic when we welcome this weeks
Palestinian initiative for a comprehensive, reciprocal and simultaneous ceasefire. The
Agreement, inter alia, states that:
1. Palestinian groups will stop firing
rockets on Israel.
2. Israel stops military operations and offensives including
air
strikes, ground offensives and naval attacks.
3. The ceasefire will
expand to include the West Bank.
4. This agreement will be implemented as soon
as the parties accept it.
5. Israel stops arrests, extrajudicial killings and
assassinations of
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
6. The
issue of wanted and deported persons, as well as the issue of
prisoners should
be solved according to a clear-cut agreement.
7. Israel will release detained
and abducted ministers and PLC members.
8. The agreement will include an Israeli
withdrawal from areas
occupied since 28 September 2000.
9. Removal of roadblocks
and checkpoints in the West Bank and the
easing of passage through crossings.
10.
Following the implementation of the first and second points of the
agreement,
the PA shall deploy security forces at the eastern and
northern borders of
the Gaza Strip, and will implement the security
plan to establish the rule
of law and order.
Are we partisan and biased when we express concern about
the humanitarian catastrophe engulfing the Palestine people. Deputy Speaker South
Africa is biased in condemning all forms of violence against civilians by all
parties involved in the conflict. We condemn Israel's policy of extra-judicial
killings which is in direct violation of international law and in violation of
the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War, to which Israel is a High Contracting Party. We also condemn suicide bombings
against Israeli civilians and the shooting of rockets into Israel territory. Deputy
Speaker Are we partisan and biased when we call for the end of the arrest
of Palestinian leaders, including Ministers. Are we partisan and biased
when we criticise Israel's extra-judicial killings of Palestinians and the recent
threat to assassinate Prime Minister Haniyeh and Hamas leader Khaled Mishael. Let
me categorically state that we will be biased in our rejection of all attempts
to describe our criticism of the Israeli government's policies which are contrary
to international and humanitarian law as being anti -Semitic, and partisan. We
will also be biased and partisan when we call on the Palestinian political leadership
to take decisive action to prevent any possibilities of a Palestinian Civil War,
which will be a catastrophe for the Palestinian people's desire for self-determination. Those
who refuse to accept the truth and criticise our policies should ask themselves
- is the majority of humanity wrong or are they wrong. Their unobjective, partisan,
biased defence of the Israeli government's policies at all costs are not in the
interest of the Israeli people, regional and international peace and stability. Unlike
Rip von Winkle lets wake up to the realities and work together to achieve a 2
state solution and a comprehensive Arab-Israel Peace Agreement. Issued
by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
6
June 200 | 
