In preparation for the International Conference Against Apartheid:
The Palestinian delegation holds several meetings in South Africa
7-24-2023
Johannesburg - A Palestinian delegation held a meeting with the Coordinating Committee Against Apartheid in South Africa, as part of preparations for the International Conference Against Apartheid and Israeli Settler Colonialism, to be held in South Africa in the coming months.
The Palestinian delegation included the head of the delegation, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, the head of the PLO Anti-Apartheid Department, Ramzi Rabah, and members of the Palestinian Coordinating Committee for the conference, Saleh Hijazi, representative of the Boycott Movement (BDS), Tahseen Alyan, representative of the Council of Palestinian Human Rights Organizations, and a representative of Al-Haq.
The Palestinian delegation held a meeting with the Coordinating Committee of South Africa, headed by the former President of the World Council of Churches, a prominent leader in the African National Congress, Rev. Frank Chikani. Representatives of many African CSOs, the official representing the Boycott Movement (BDS) in Africa, Roshan Aldado and many academic and human rights figures active in the solidarity committees with the Palestinian people attended the meeting.
The meeting touched on the ongoing preparations for convening of the international conference in South Africa. It stressed the importance of continuing the joint efforts to turn the international conference into an important milestone, into launching the broadest international campaign to condemn the violations and racist crimes committed by the occupying state. These include killings, ethnic cleansing and displacement, to expand and perpetuate settlement and annexation operations, and adopting a legal, legislative and policies regime aimed at annexing the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and imposing Israeli laws and sovereignty over them. Such a regime also embodies the continuous Zionist project since the Palestinian Nakba in 1948 until today, which the Palestinian people resist valiantly, as they seek to protect land and national rights, in order to thwart the racist colonial project that enjoys full American support.
The meeting dealt with the mechanisms of preparing for the conference, drafting the documents that will be presented to the conference, in addition to the most important objectives of the conference, which is to build a global front against the Israeli apartheid, with the widest international participation. The targeted front aims at building a global coalition; which depends on an action strategy and a common vision to move at various levels, to condemn, boycott and hold the Israeli occupation government accountable for its crimes that are committed daily against the Palestinian people, land, rights and sanctities.
The meeting resulted in forming joint committees to follow up the preparation of documents as well as develop detailed mechanisms to follow up the preparation of the conference. This will be in cooperation and coordination with the existing frameworks and committees that are carrying out a tremendous action in this regard, and with the active participation of parties, trade unions, MPs, civil society organizations, human rights institutions, and prominent figures in different countries.
In the same context, the Palestinian delegation met with the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, "Zain Dangor" and the Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ashraf Suleiman.
During the meeting, Ramzi Rabah talked about the situation in the Palestinian territories under the extreme rightwing occupation government, which practices a policy of annexation and ethnic cleansing, and promotes settlement in the occupied West Bank, stressing the need to expose its racist and brutal policies and practices, and to hold them accountable before international courts.
The meeting discussed the importance of convening the International Conference against Apartheid, with the widest participation and support at the international level.
The conferees stressed the importance of providing full support for the Palestinian people, and their continuous struggle for self-determination and return, and ending all forms of Israeli apartheid practiced by the occupying state against the Palestinian people.
For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa expressed; Its full readiness to support the effort to organize the International Conference Against Apartheid. It stressed the importance of international institutional action, especially at the UN General Assembly, to take their role in taking clear decisions regarding ending Israeli settler colonialism, holding the occupying state accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people. The ministry also stressed the importance of demanding the UN General Assembly to implement its decisions regarding combating apartheid and punishing it, as happened to the Republic of South Africa.
In a related context, the PLO Executive Committee member, Ramzi Rabah, presented trophies honoring the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the former President of the World Council of Churches. Rabah also honored the prominent leader of the African National Congress, Rev. Frank Chikani, the BDS representative in Africa, Roshan Aldado, and to ANC members, in appreciation of their positions and efforts in serving the Palestinian national cause.