There is a a falsification and mistruth being advocated by the Israeli lobby that the IR commission of the ANC National Policy Conference adopted the recommendation for a downgrade "contingent on a risk analysis” between now and December. This is simply untrue and is utterly incorrect, at best a lie and at worse can be viewed as an interference and meddling with internal processes.
In fact, a risk analysis between now and December could not have been adopted because this would be beyond the mandate and powers of the National Policy Conference. The NPC only makes recommendations to the December conference it cannot undertake investigations or other such actions between now and December.
In a statement released by the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) and SA Zionist Federation these two organizations go to the extent of suggesting that the ANC's Head of International Relations has said that they will be part of such a (non-existent) risk analysis investigation. They write: "In a conversation with SAJBD President Mary Kluk during the conference, Minister Edna Molewa ... assured Mary that the SAJBD would be consulted and be part of this investigation."
According to the press briefing by the ANC IR Commission Rapporteur, the idea of a risk analysis, investigation and impact study was indeed debated but at the end the final decision of the Commission, which was adopted by Plenary, was for the downgrade of the SA Embassy in Israel. We are confident that the commission report, once published, will accurately reflect these views.
The Israeli lobby and embassy has consistently proven to be against the South African government and its ruling party's support of the Palestinian people. In January this year, in an unprecedented attack, the Israeli embassy issued a statement defending opposition party leader Mmusi Maimane and attacking the ANC falsely accusing the party of being hateful and anti-semitic (
click here to read the statement).
