MEDIA RELEASE: Senior PLO member writes to SA's foreign affairs, DIRCO
17 August 2012
Senior Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) member, Dr Hanan Ashrawi, has written to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) strongly commending South Africa for its discouragement of relations with Israel. Ashrawi writes:
"I strongly commend your recent statement in which you unequivocally communicated the consistent South African government's position opposing Israel’s occupation and upholding the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people."
"Without holding Israel accountable to its obligations under international law and applying pressure to ensure its compliance with international law Israel will not change its current policies of occupation, colonization and apartheid and the Palestinian people will not be able to exercise our right to self determination. As South Africans know more than most, without effective and courageous international solidarity, justice and peace will not prevail in our part of the world."
"Your strong discouragement of South Africans from visiting Israel is a deeply appreciated gesture of international solidarity that South Africa, with its government and people, is well known for."
Click here to read the full letter.
Meanwhile, several groups locally and abroad have also written to DIRCO welcoming the South African government position of "discouraging" trips to Israel.
SOUTH AFRICAN
INTERNATIONAL
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Spokesperson: 073 133 3012
Muhammed Desai: 084 211 9988
BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS in SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)
Office 915 | 9th Floor | Khotso House | 62 Marshall Street | Johannesburg
PO Box 2318 | Houghton | 2041 | Johannesburg
T: +27 (0) 11 241 7813 | F: +27 (0) 86 650 4836
BDS South Africa is a registered Non-Profit Organization. NPO NUMBER: 084 306 NPO
BDS South Africa is a registered Public Benefit Organisation with Section 18A status. PBO NUMBER: 930 037 446
