Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2013-11-06

Avigdor Liberman, former Israeli foreign minister has urged South African Jews "to make aliya (immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the land of Israel) as soon as possible", saying the government's anti-Israeli rhetoric would  make them vulnerable to hate.

Liberman who is currently on trial for fraud was quoted in the Jerusalem Post on Sunday calling on SA Jews to move to Israel as the "anti-Israel and anti-Semitic atmosphere" in South Africa would "result in pogroms against the country’s Jews".

Lieberman’s comments were in response to International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, saying the government won’t send cabinet ministers to Israel.

Nkoana-Mashabane was reported as telling a Cosatu meeting on Friday that her government’s policy was not to engage with Israel at a ministerial level until progress has been made in advancing the peace process and addressing Palestinian grievances.

“Ministers of South Africa do not visit Israel currently… our Palestinian friends have asked us in formal meetings to not engage with the regime,” Sapa quoted her as saying.

"Our Palestinian friends have asked us in formal meetings to not engage with the [Israeli] regime. We have agreed to slow down and curtail senior leadership contact with that regime until things begin to look better," she said.

Nkoana-Mashabane also criticised Israeli’s occupation of Palestinian lands by saying: “That arrangement there in Palestine keeps us awake… the last time I looked at the map of Palestine, I could not go to sleep. It’s ‘dots’, smaller than those of the homelands.

Nkoana-Mashabane expressed her solidarity with the Palestinian people, stating that: “The struggle of the people of Palestine is our struggle.”

Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesman Clayson Monyela said that Nkoana-Mashabane was merely stating the position which had pertained for some time and insisted this was just a “position” and not a “policy”.

“She did not say anything new,” he said.

Itani Rasalanavho of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions South Africa rebutted saying that it was not Nkoana-Mashabane's personal views being expressed but government policy.

"At the ANC international solidarity conference in October last year, the ruling party announced it was broadening its support of the Palestinian-led BDS movement. This resolution was reaffirmed at the party's 54th national elective conference in December.

"I'm not surprised by the Minister’s statements. One must understand that the Minister was simply expressing ANC policy and long-standing South African government positions,” said Raslanavho. – Agencies

(Twitter: @Faizie143 )