Tuesday, May 15, 2018

‘APARTHEID ISRAEL CAN BE DEFEATED’
Protesters say the US’s decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is regrettable.

Pelane Phakgadi
Eyewitness News

JOHANNESBURG - Several organisations are picketing outside the US Consulate in Sandton under the banner: Free Palestine.

They include the South African Communist Party (SACP), Palestine Solidarity Campaign and union National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa).

About 60 Palestinians, including children, have been killed while protesting on the border with Israel.

Protesters say the US’s decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is regrettable.

Some placards read: "Free Palestine", "Stop the murder of innocents" and "Apartheid Israel can be defeated".

The Numsa's Jerry Morulane says in the interest of peace, the US should not move its capital to Jerusalem.

“Their support to the apartheid Israel is not assisting anyone and is making the apartheid Israel remain resistant.”

The demonstrators have handed over a memorandum to the US Consulate.

Civil rights organisations have ramped up calls for the government to shut down the Israeli embassy in South Africa.

In the memorandum, the organisations demand that the US stops what they’ve termed “aggressive and provocative” military campaigns informed by its foreign policies in the middle east.

Numsa’s Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says as a show of solidarity, South Africa should boot out the Israeli Embassy.

“When you express outrage and disgust against a brutal country, such as apartheid Israel, it must be demonstrated… our government must expel the ambassador of Israel.”

At the same time, the ANC has released a statement calling on all South Africans to show the world that the Israeli government and its armed forces should be regarded as outcasts and blights on humanity.

(Edited by Zamangwane Shange)

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