Faizel Patel – 19/05/2021
African National Congress (ANC) stalwart Essop Pahad says the state of Israel was built on a lie, has survived on a lie and continues to live on a lie.
Pahad was speaking to Radio Islam on Tuesday as the world witnesses the Israeli occupation forces continuing their bombardment of Gaza, attacking and killing innocent Palestinians including women, children and the elderly.
Over 200 Palestinians have so far been killed, including more than 60 children, while 1442 were wounded after attacks by the apartheid state.
The concerned African Forum and the Stalwarts and Veterans of the ANC are the latest organisations to add its voice to the growing condemnation of the Israeli war against Palestinians.
Pahad says the world must not take Israel seriously when it says it was acting after Palestine attacked Israelis first.
“It’s not really possible to take what they say seriously about who began the violence because violence was inherent in this creation of Israel and in sustaining that illegal regime. There’s no way that you can blame an occupied people for starting what they call the violence. The violence has always been perpetrated against the Palestinians.”
Pahad says the Arab states in the Middle East have a responsibility for what Israel is doing
“Instead of boycotting Israel, instead of imposing sanctions on Israel, they one after the other following like poodle the United States of America in setting up and establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. Therefore Israel feels it can act with impunity in murdering Palestinians in the West Bank as well as in the Gaza.”
Pahad says it is necessary for solidarity movements to pay attention to put pressure on the Arab states in the Middle East to take a firmer stand against Israel.
He says South Africa’s struggle with its apartheid past should be a motivation to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians.
“However difficult it is, however long it takes us, we must all become part of that worldwide movement in solidarity with the Palestinians. My view is that we should see how best to develop this solidarity movement in the United States of America and in Europe, because these are the two powerful forces that stand behind Israel and that supports Israeli occupation, that supports Israeli violence.”
On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said as lovers of freedom and of justice, South Africa stands with the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination, but also in their resistance against the deprivation of their human rights & the denial of their dignity.
Listen to the interview with Essop Pahad
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