While on an official South African visit, Khaled Meshal, the leader of the Palestinian liberation organization HAMAS, called for increased boycotts and sanctions against Israel. 

 

Shortly after meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma, Meshal addressed a press conference with the the ANC Secretary-General, Gwede Mantashe. At the press conference Meshal said, speaking through a translator:

 

"This is a moment of truth, we call upon our friends all over the world to be united together...to prosecute the Israeli war criminals for the hideous war crimes that were committed in three consecutive wars waged against Gaza and what is being committed now - acts of aggression and crime against our people in Jerusalem and the Westbank, and all over."

 

"We need to see a sincere effort exerted from the international community and the free people of the world to boycott Israel and to impose sanctions on the Israeli Apartheid occupation."

 

"We encourage all the efforts that have been made all over the world...by the global BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel] movement. Israel is an apartheid occupation regime and it should be boycotted, isolated and sanctioned for its crimes."

"As we witnessed historically from what we saw in South Africa, with the inspiring struggle where sanctions against the apartheid regime were an important factor towards ending this regime once and for all. We call upoun all free people of the world, nations, individuals, organizations and states to cooperate together with us until we manage to isolate and impose the boycotts and sanctions that will end the [Israeli] occupation." Click here for an audio recording of Khaled Meshal speaking at the ANC Press Conference.

 

HAMAS, the Palestinian liberation organisation that won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, is currently in South Africa as an official guest of SA’s ruling party, the ANC. 

 

Earlier this month, Palestine's Fateh political party, wrote to South Africa's ruling party the ANC also calling for increased support for the non-violent BDS campaign. In a letter addressed to ANC members, Fateh wrote: "The majority of Palestinian political parties and civil society support non-violent civil society campaigns in solidarity with the Palestinian people including the highly successful BDS campaign. We call on the people of South Africa, and in particular the ANC and its branches, to support the growing boycott of Israel and assist in strengthening the BDS movement in South Africa but also throughout the African continent."