ANC & SACP Statements on Meeting With Israeli Minister for Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi and His Delegation
7 November 2017
The African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) Sub-committee on International Relations (IR) Sub-committee has met with Minister of Regional Cooperation of the State of Israel, Mr. Tzachi Hanegbi.
The meeting which took place at the ANC's Head offices in Johannesburg on Monday, was held at the request of Minister Hanegbi's office. The delegation was received by Comrade Edna Molewa, Chairperson of the International Relations Sub-Committee together with members of the Sub-Committee.
Minister Hanegbi was accompanied by the ambassador of Israel to South Africa, Mr. Lior Keinan as well as representatives from the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBOD).
The ANC regularly receives meeting requests from members of the diplomatic community based in South Africa.
Yesterday's meeting formed part of the regular engagement by the ANC and its subcommittees with a wide range of stakeholders, as well as forming part of party-to-party engagement.
The International Relations Sub-Committee has this year alone met with representatives and delegations from Venezuela, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Cuba, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Colombia, Vietnam, the People's Republic of China and Liberia. The Sub-Committee has also met with various groupings such as the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) as well as the European Union.
A number of issues were discussed, including a recommendation of the recently held National Policy Conference (NPC) relating to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: namely the downgrading of South Africa's embassy in Israel. The Subcommittee has informed the delegation that the recommendation stands as coming from NPC and that a decision in this regard would be taken at the ANC's upcoming National Conference in December.
The International Relations subcommittee further reiterated the ANC and its Alliance's commitment to the Two State solution and emphasized that urgent steps should be taken to resume talks between both sides. It is in the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis that this protracted conflict should come to an end and a lasting solution found.
The ANC remains committed to playing a constructive role in the Middle East peace process and within the international relations arena in general; and as such views regular engagement with actors across the political spectrum as key to its efforts.
Issued by:
Edna Molewa
Chairperson: ANC NEC SubCommittee on International Relations Subcommittee
Enquiries:
Zizi Kodwa
082 330 4910
Khusela Sangoni -
072 854 5707
Meeting with Israeli politician really shocking: SACP pledges solidarity with the Palestinian people
9 November 2017
The South African Communist Party expresses shock at the decision of the ANC International Relations Sub-Committee to meet with Israeli politician, Tzachi Hanegbi. We are also disturbed that the Head of the ANC`s International relations is trying to justify this meeting by suggesting that it is the same as meeting with, for example, the people of Venezuela or the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Israel is an apartheid regime guilty of oppressing the Palestinian people, occupation of their land and serious human rights abuses! It is an oppressor state and cannot be likened to the oppressed. The SACP firmly stands on the side of the oppressed against the oppressors.
The SACP is also now clearer as to why neither the ANC nor government took any action in April 2015 when our General Secretary, Comrade Blade Nzimande, in his capacity as Minister of Higher Education and Training, was denied entry into Palestine by the Israeli regime while he was scheduled to perform government work. This failure to act deserves further scrutiny as we move forward. There is a growing list of South Africans who are being denied entry to Palestine by Israel and very little visible from the government to act against the apartheid regime.
"And as in private life one differentiates between what a man thinks and says of himself and what he really is and does, so in historical struggles one must distinguish still more the phrases and fancies of parties from their real organism and their real interests, their conception of themselves from their reality". This principle by the world`s renowned theoretician of the oppressed and the exploited, Karl Marx is more compelling and more relevant than rhetoric and justifications of the unjustifiable.
The SACP reaffirms its support for the downgrade and shutting down of the South African embassy in Israel as called for by the Palestinians as well as by progressive Jewish people and as recommended by the recent ANC National Policy Conference. A message appears to have been clearly written on the wall; the recommendation has been undermined, if not already rendered irrelevant, before it can be considered by the forthcoming ANC national conference. The same applies to existing resolutions and declarations on the Palestinian Question that have been contradicted.
The SACP wholeheartedly supports the Palestinian struggle for peace, national self-determination and the freedom of their land not as a favour but as a Communist duty towards universal social emancipation. We view the Palestinian struggle against Israeli apartheid as part of our larger contribution to internationalism and a more just world.
Furthermore, as explained in a statement by a group of progressive Jewish South Africans who have also rejected the meeting, Hanegbi is a racist who has previously served in the Israeli Defence Force, an institution directly involved in expanding and sustaining the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine. Our Jewish comrades from the South Africa Jews for a Free Palestine have also pointed out his racism against Africans and his support in backing legislation against African refugees.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY | SACP
FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES ON SACP STATEMENTS CONTACT:
Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo
National Spokesperson & Head of Communications
Mobile: +27 76 316 9816
Skype: MashiloAM
CIRCULATION & MEDIA LIAISON SERVICES
Hlengiwe Nkonyane
Communications Officer: Media Liaison Services, Digital and Social Media Co-ordinator
Mobile: +27 79 384 6550
OFFICE, WEBSITE, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, USTREAM TV CHANNEL
Office: +2711 339 3621/2
Twitter: SACP1921
Website: www.sacp.org.za
Facebook Page: South African Communist Party
SACP Ustream TV Channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sacp-tv
The African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) Sub-committee on International Relations (IR) Sub-committee has met with Minister of Regional Cooperation of the State of Israel, Mr. Tzachi Hanegbi.
The meeting which took place at the ANC's Head offices in Johannesburg on Monday, was held at the request of Minister Hanegbi's office. The delegation was received by Comrade Edna Molewa, Chairperson of the International Relations Sub-Committee together with members of the Sub-Committee.
Minister Hanegbi was accompanied by the ambassador of Israel to South Africa, Mr. Lior Keinan as well as representatives from the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBOD).
The ANC regularly receives meeting requests from members of the diplomatic community based in South Africa.
Yesterday's meeting formed part of the regular engagement by the ANC and its subcommittees with a wide range of stakeholders, as well as forming part of party-to-party engagement.
The International Relations Sub-Committee has this year alone met with representatives and delegations from Venezuela, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Cuba, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Colombia, Vietnam, the People's Republic of China and Liberia. The Sub-Committee has also met with various groupings such as the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) as well as the European Union.
A number of issues were discussed, including a recommendation of the recently held National Policy Conference (NPC) relating to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: namely the downgrading of South Africa's embassy in Israel. The Subcommittee has informed the delegation that the recommendation stands as coming from NPC and that a decision in this regard would be taken at the ANC's upcoming National Conference in December.
The International Relations subcommittee further reiterated the ANC and its Alliance's commitment to the Two State solution and emphasized that urgent steps should be taken to resume talks between both sides. It is in the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis that this protracted conflict should come to an end and a lasting solution found.
The ANC remains committed to playing a constructive role in the Middle East peace process and within the international relations arena in general; and as such views regular engagement with actors across the political spectrum as key to its efforts.
Issued by:
Edna Molewa
Chairperson: ANC NEC SubCommittee on International Relations Subcommittee
Enquiries:
Zizi Kodwa
082 330 4910
Khusela Sangoni -
072 854 5707
Meeting with Israeli politician really shocking: SACP pledges solidarity with the Palestinian people
9 November 2017
The South African Communist Party expresses shock at the decision of the ANC International Relations Sub-Committee to meet with Israeli politician, Tzachi Hanegbi. We are also disturbed that the Head of the ANC`s International relations is trying to justify this meeting by suggesting that it is the same as meeting with, for example, the people of Venezuela or the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Israel is an apartheid regime guilty of oppressing the Palestinian people, occupation of their land and serious human rights abuses! It is an oppressor state and cannot be likened to the oppressed. The SACP firmly stands on the side of the oppressed against the oppressors.
The SACP is also now clearer as to why neither the ANC nor government took any action in April 2015 when our General Secretary, Comrade Blade Nzimande, in his capacity as Minister of Higher Education and Training, was denied entry into Palestine by the Israeli regime while he was scheduled to perform government work. This failure to act deserves further scrutiny as we move forward. There is a growing list of South Africans who are being denied entry to Palestine by Israel and very little visible from the government to act against the apartheid regime.
"And as in private life one differentiates between what a man thinks and says of himself and what he really is and does, so in historical struggles one must distinguish still more the phrases and fancies of parties from their real organism and their real interests, their conception of themselves from their reality". This principle by the world`s renowned theoretician of the oppressed and the exploited, Karl Marx is more compelling and more relevant than rhetoric and justifications of the unjustifiable.
The SACP reaffirms its support for the downgrade and shutting down of the South African embassy in Israel as called for by the Palestinians as well as by progressive Jewish people and as recommended by the recent ANC National Policy Conference. A message appears to have been clearly written on the wall; the recommendation has been undermined, if not already rendered irrelevant, before it can be considered by the forthcoming ANC national conference. The same applies to existing resolutions and declarations on the Palestinian Question that have been contradicted.
The SACP wholeheartedly supports the Palestinian struggle for peace, national self-determination and the freedom of their land not as a favour but as a Communist duty towards universal social emancipation. We view the Palestinian struggle against Israeli apartheid as part of our larger contribution to internationalism and a more just world.
Furthermore, as explained in a statement by a group of progressive Jewish South Africans who have also rejected the meeting, Hanegbi is a racist who has previously served in the Israeli Defence Force, an institution directly involved in expanding and sustaining the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine. Our Jewish comrades from the South Africa Jews for a Free Palestine have also pointed out his racism against Africans and his support in backing legislation against African refugees.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY | SACP
FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES ON SACP STATEMENTS CONTACT:
Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo
National Spokesperson & Head of Communications
Mobile: +27 76 316 9816
Skype: MashiloAM
CIRCULATION & MEDIA LIAISON SERVICES
Hlengiwe Nkonyane
Communications Officer: Media Liaison Services, Digital and Social Media Co-ordinator
Mobile: +27 79 384 6550
OFFICE, WEBSITE, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, USTREAM TV CHANNEL
Office: +2711 339 3621/2
Twitter: SACP1921
Website: www.sacp.org.za
Facebook Page: South African Communist Party
SACP Ustream TV Channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sacp-tv
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