Zuma stands firm on open travel to Israel

ANT KATZ

More than 15 per cent of the two-hour plenary session was devoted to questions about Israel.

ANC chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation Moses Mosango, asked Zuma what he felt about DA leader Mmusi Maimane having met with “the most conservative, most reactionary and most ultra-right-wing prime minister of Israel”.

While Mosango urged the president to condemn such visits, Zuma would not be baited. “Certainly, from the government’s point of view, we don’t necessarily encourage people to go to Israel,” he responded.

Zuma pointed out that South Africa doesn’t have a law which says you can’t go to Israel. He said that he encouraged “those who make contact with Israel to ensure we push for a solution. (If) the leader of the opposition goes there, that is his own decision,” said Zuma. “I don’t think we would want to interfere.”

In tackling the issue of support for the Palestinians, he said: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” 

South Africa, said Zuma, “remains convinced that a two-state solution is the only possible solution for durable peace in the region” and that “after 50 years under Israeli occupation, Palestinians continue to live in deplorable conditions”.

South Africa continues to support all efforts towards the creation of two states, living side-by-side and based on 1967 borders, said Zuma. He added that South Africa was involved in all initiatives to facilitate this.

South Africa, he said, would continue to stand up for the Palestinian people. “We will never turn our backs on (them).”

Ahmed Shaik Emam, an MP from the National Freedom Party, told Zuma: “It is quite clear that Israel continues to violate all human rights. They continue building settlements…” he said. There are those opportunists (who) oppressed us for hundreds of years (and) are now supporting Israel to continue to oppress the people of Palestine.

What are we going to do? he asked. Zuma agreed with Emam that Israel “has violated international laws” in the manner in which it handles the Palestinians. He reiterated that South Africa was part of delegations taking part in discussions over this.

“Last year I visited four Middle East countries,” he said, and this issue had been on the agenda of each one.

Zuma then said something that had everyone sitting up: “Even those Arab countries are saying they now agree to the two-state solution,” intimating that those countries had agreed to recognise Israel. “We are part of the forces trying to persuade both sides,” said Zuma, “and we will continue to do so.”

ACDP leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe – a known friend of Israel – asked: “Would the President agree that one of the reasons holding up talks is Jerusalem? What is your position on the status of Jerusalem?”

Zuma said it was not his task to delve too deeply into the history of Jerusalem – who had been there and when in the past was not his area. He didn’t care “how David ruled over 3 000 years ago.

“What I am dealing with are the issues of today.” The history that we know is that history that everybody in the world agrees to regarding Jerusalem, Zuma said. “That is that it includes (Jews), Christians and Muslims. On this point, we agree,” he said. There should be a two-state solution, “that is the point we are talking about”.

SA Zionist Federation National Chairman Ben Swartz was extremely up-beat after the session, saying: Jacob Zuma said that it is the prerogative of any South African to travel to Israel. He also said that where possible, they should do what they can to promote the peace process, according to Schwartz.