SA sends in peace envoys

KEISHA SINGH AZIZ Pahad, pictured, is leading the delegation to Israel and Palestine along with Zola Skweyiya, former public service minister.

They left for the Middle East last Friday.

“South Africa’s diplomatic message is for an immediate ceasefire and the call for calm and restraint by all parties,” said Clayson Monyela from the Department of International Relations.”

Michael Freeman, from the Israeli Embassy in South Africa, welcomed South Africa’s diplomatic move and said he was certain that meetings between the envoys and senior Israeli government officials would be progressive.

“South Africa can lend its weight to a negotiated settlement to seek a permanent ceasefire between the two countries.”

However, he said this was a difficult task because the only ceasefire Israel would accept was one that allowed for soldiers to remain in Gaza and destroy the several tunnels that Hamas had built, leading into the Jewish state.

Lubna Nadvi, a political lecturer and analyst, said South Africa’s diplomatic effort was a sign that the government had not listened to its people. “The South African public has called for the shutting down of the Israeli Embassy in South Africa and to expel Isrel’s ambassador, Arthur Lenk.

“The government has not broken ties with Israel and instead responded by engaging in diplomacy.”

She said the problem with this was that Pahad was only going to the West Bank and not the Gaza strip.

“The West Bank is a landlocked territory in Palestine and is completely cut off from Gaza by Israeli forces.”

South Africa would not be in dialogue with Hamas and Nadvi said that this made communication pointless as Hamas represented the Palestinian armed response.