As the divisive storm at the ANC conference mimics the weather this usually sunny country has been receiving, the Cape Times reminds us that there is one issue that can unite almost all ANC delegates.
The Palestine Solidarity Committee has setup a tent at the conference in a bid to cash in on the lobbying opportunities presented by the conference.
The Muslim lobbyists condemning the recent Al-Qaida inspired bombings in Algeria that killed 57 civilians were unfortunately nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were meeting with the Muslim lobbyists who are protesting against the genocide of African Muslims in Darfur.
The Cape Times: Palestine remembered at the ANC conference
Amid media venues and caravans at the University of Limpopo where ANC members are at odds in leadership battle, stands a lone tent highlighting a much older crisis. It features T-shirts, booklets and stickers on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. "We are here to create awareness - people are forgetting that apartheid still exists [in Israel]," Yusuf Saloojee, a member of the Palestinian Solidarity Association, said on Monday. He said the association was present on the sidelines of the national conference of the African National Congress outside Polokwane to keep the "continued oppression of the Palestinian people" on the agenda of the party and its members. The ANC had always had close ties with the Palestinians and the significant role it, said Saloojee. Bright, round, orange stickers read: "Apartheid Wall will Fall". Booklets on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and T-shirts fill boxes lining the floor of the tiny tent. "David and Goliath (ed - part 1 and part 2), Who's Who in the Middle East", reads the title of one publication, written by South Africa's Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils. |
Zuma's right hand man Mo Shaik said recently in one of the newspapers that when Zuma becomes President of South Africa 2009,there will be a Zuma concentration of foreign policy on Africa,not Middle East.
What is your guys view of Zuma Presidency regarding Israel? Mbeki's policy of voting against Israel or abstaining in UN agencies can't get any worse,despite his attending Yom Ha'atzmaut 2007 in Durban
Posted by: Akiva | December 17, 2007 at 23:36
Well Fat Ronnie is in the Mbeki campp, and not favoured by Zuma supporters, and will probabely not be in a Zuma government, so that means a great improvement in itself.
Posted by: Gary | December 18, 2007 at 09:08
The question of will Zuma be good for the Jews is a complex one. I hope to address it in a lengthy post if he is elected. Gary I right Ronnie is in the Mbeki camp and it would be good news to see him out the cabinet. But Zuma is in the with the extreme Left who share Ronnies views. So we may land up getting 10 Ronnies in his place.
Posted by: Mike | December 18, 2007 at 12:46
The question of whether Zuma is good for the Jews can be answered by asking whether the Jews in SA can, and are prepared to out bid, the Shaik's and their co-donaters.
At the very least perhaps some of the massive European donations to the PA can be frozen by Israel and used to fund a few plane loads of african refugees (again) to Israel.
This time though you better hope Zuma will allow the definition of "african" to incorporate the sense of being born in africa as opposed to the more popular PC BEE/AA definition of simply being super-pigmented.
Posted by: Hillel | December 18, 2007 at 19:47
Ronnie Kasrils seems to have a good sense of commerce then...
Posted by: SnoopyTheGoon | December 19, 2007 at 14:23