MANDELA DAY MARKED IN PALESTINE WITH SA EMBASSY AT GAZA WOMEN & CHILD CENTER |
Officials from the South African Embassy joined local Palestinians in marking #MandelaDay on Tuesday 18 July at a Gift of the Givers Women & Child center in the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Click here for photos and a short video.
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TODAY IF THERE'S ONE THING YOU READ ON PALESTINE LET IT BE THIS BY JOHN PILGER
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Today if there's one thing that you read on Palestine let it be this article titled "Why Palestine is still the issue" by world renown journalist John Pilger. Here is an extract: "All over the colonised world, the true sovereignty of indigenous people is feared by those who can never quite cover the fact, and the crime, that they live on stolen land...what enrages those who colonise and occupy, steal and oppress, vandalise and defile is the victims’ refusal to comply. And this is the tribute we all should pay the Palestinians. They refuse to comply. They go on. They wait – until they fight again...when the Palestinians rise again, as they will, they may not succeed at first — but they will eventually if we understand that they are us, and we are them." Click here to read the full article.
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CELEBRATED SA PLASTIC SURGEON TO JOIN THE BDS TEAM AT TODAY'S 702 WALK THE TALK |
Celebrated South African plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr Ridwaan Mia, will be joining the BDS South Africa team at today’s 50 000 person MTN 702 Walk the Talk. Mia performed the first cloned skin grafting procedure in Africa on three-year-old Isabella “Pippie” Kruger. He subsequently received one of South Africa's most coveted awards, the Order of the Boabab in Silver. South Africa’s Deputy Minister for Basic Education will also form part of the BDS SA team at this year’s Walk The Talk. The BDS SA team will be walking to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinian children living under Israeli Apartheid. If you are registered for today’s Walk The Talk and would like to join the BDS SA team either look out for our “Free Palestine - Boycott Apartheid Israel” balloons and flags or call 0740543826 for more info.
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VIDEO FROM THE ARCHIVES: NELSON MANDELA SPEAKING ON PALESTINE
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This week as we marked the UN International #MandelaDay on 18 July we were also reminded of Madiba’s unflinching support for the Palestinian struggle against, in his words, Israeli "colonialism".
In 1990 Mandela participated in a town hall meeting in New York City, chaired by Ted Koppel of ABC Networks. The interview focuses on, among other issues, Mandela’s call for boycotts and sanctions against Apartheid South Africa as well as his backing of the Palestinian struggle against Israel oppression.
The interview took place during a time when Mandela was still considered a terrorist by the USA, Israelis and others. However, even then, when it may have been unfashionable, costly or unpopular to support the Palestinians, Mandela stood firm and resolute on his principles and his organisation's policies in support of the Palestinians. Click here to watch the video online.
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HOW NELSON MANDELA REFUSED TO MAKE CONCESSIONS (THE NEW YORK TIMES, MARCH 1990)
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In 1985, on 31 January, the then President of Apartheid South Africa, PW Botha, offered to release Nelson Mandela from prison on condition that he renounces violence, violent protest and the armed struggle.
Mandela refused to do so and communicated his rejection of the offer through his daughter, Zinzi Mandela, who read a statement at a rally in Soweto saying that the ANC adopted violence as a means of protest against Apartheid "when other forms of resistance were no longer open to us". Click here.
In 1990, the New York Times reported how Nelson Mandela and the ANC were under pressure to abandon the armed struggle, however, Mandela and the ANC refused to make any concessions or enter into any dialogue with the Apartheid Government until it first met the organization's conditions for opening talks. Mandela said: "It is quite clear that the [Apartheid] Government is not yet prepared to meet us and you can't expect us, therefore, to make any concessions to the Government". Click here.
Today, Palestinians too are insisting on certain basic demands including the end of Israel's illegal occupation, the lifting of the siege on the Gaza Strip, the release of Palestinian political prisoners and for Israel to respect the right of return of Palestinian refugees which is guaranteed under international law.
Palestinians have explained that they are ready to negotiate with Israel but, like Mandela, only after certain basic and reasonable demands are met.
Until then, Palestinians (across the political spectrum) have called on peace and justice loving people from across the world to advance the non-violent boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) of Israel campaign to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law and to create the necessary conditions for a just peace to be negotiated. Click here for a 1990 New York Times article titled "Mandela Refuses to Make Concessions to Pretoria".
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