Question 3:
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chairperson, in relation to this
question, the government of South Africa has communicated its
unequivocal and strongest condemnation of Israeli attacks
against Palestinians in Gaza to the government of the state of
Israel and we did this through a number of measures. A
démarche was issued by Deputy Minister Nomaindiya Mfeketo, who
summoned the Israeli ambassador to her Office on 16 July 2014
at the height of this conflict. A meeting between the Israeli
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the special envoys who
were appointed by our President - Dr Zola Skweyiya and Mr Aziz Pahad was held on 28 July in Israel. Furthermore,the special envoys
delivered President Zuma’s letter to the Israeli Prime
Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, and in that letter the
President expressed our condemnation on the attacks against
Palestinians in Gaza.
The government of South Africa is not considering suspending
diplomatic relations with Israel. Maintaining diplomatic
relations with Israel allows our country to continue to engage
with Israel on issues of mutual interest, including the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Because of the diplomatic
relations that exist between the two countries, President Zuma
was able to dispatch these two envoys to convey South Africa’s
grave concern at the security situation. This we would not
have been able to do if we had curtailed diplomatic relations
with the state of Israel. We chose to do so, to remain engaged
with the state of Israel, because it is often best, when you
want to solve problems, to remain engaged so that you can have
some leverage. And this gave our President the leverage to be
able to send the two special envoys.
Furthermore, maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel
allows South Africa to maintain its presence in Ramallah. The
government of South Africa joins the international community
in calling for an end to the violence in the Middle East. It
is our conviction that there will be no military solution to
the current challenges facing Israel and Palestine. Only a
negotiated settlement will bring about a lasting and durable
solution to the problems facing the Middle East.
Accordingly, we call on all sides to the conflict to observe
the terms of the current cease-fire agreement negotiated in
Egypt just yesterday. We hope that this agreement, which was
crafted yesterday and was celebrated in the Middle East, will,
particularly in the Palestinian areas, lay the foundation for
a comprehensive cease-fire agreement when the parties meet
once again in a month’s time. Thank you. [Applause.]
Sepedi:
Ngaka H E MATEME: Modulasetulo wa Ntlo yeo e hlomphegago, ke
tšea sebaka se ke leboga Motlatšamoporesidente ge lehono a re
file ditaba tšeo di tšwago kgodung ya lerotse. Re rutegile e
bile re a kgotsofala gore naga ya Afrika Borwa e dira go tlala
seatla, go kgonthišiša gore ka le lengwe la matšatši, kua Middle
East, bana ba MaPalestina le bommago bona le batšofadi ba bona
gotee le bona bale ba MaIsraele ba robala boroko. Ke a leboga.
English:
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: That was not a supplementary
question. I think it was an elaborate “thank you”.
Setswana:
Motlatsamoporesidente: Re eletsa gore go nne jalo gore batho
ba kwa Palesitina le kwa Iseraele fa ba saenne tumalano e ya
cease-fire, ba kgone go robala boroko matsatsi a a latelang le
dikgwedi tse di latelang. Re tshepa gore ba tla robala boroko
le mo dingwageng tse di latelang gore go seka ga tlhola go nna
le ntwa. Rona re le batho ba Aforikaborwa, re eletsa gore
dintwa di fele kwa Middle East. [Legofi.]
English:
Ms L MATHYS: Hon Chair, Deputy President, again it appears
that business is being protected by government, and, in this
particular case, Jewish business, which seems to be putting
pressure on our government not to suspend diplomatic
relations.
How can we not view us not suspending our diplomatic relations
with an apartheid state as not supporting the apartheid state
of Israel? Thank you.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chair, as I said in my reply, the
decision our government took not to suspend or curtail
diplomatic relations was done with a specific purpose in mind.
Let’s accept that there are two views on this: The one view is
to cut all links and engagements with the state of Israel; the
other view is to retain diplomatic relations, because, through
that, you remain engaged and you are able to bring some
measure of influence – even as you voice your protest. Our
government chose the latter, that we will remain engaged, that
we will voice our protest and this enabled us to have some
leverage to be able to send two special envoys 3– Dr Zola Skweyiya
and Mr Aziz Pahad – who were both senior ranking Ministers in the
government of South Africa, to go and engage with the
government of Israel in Israel itself. Through this, they were
able to articulate fully our government’s opposition and its
grave concern about the situation out there.
We would like to believe that they did make some headway. And,
as the cease-fire has now been signed, we must know that there
are many people and countries that make all sorts of efforts
to get the warring parties to come to the table. We believe
that, through the reports we have received, that they did make
South Africa’s voice heard very clearly and we are rather
pleased that a cease-fire has now been arrived at or agreed to
and it seems to be a long-term type of cease-fire. We hope
that the people of Israel and Palestine will be able to find
peace and stop the killing and the slaughter that has been
taking place. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr G MICHALAKIS: Hon Chairperson, Deputy President, from your
first reply, I think it is safe to presume that the South
African government will continue to work towards a negotiated
settlement towards a permanent and peaceful end to the
conflict.
If so, and I would like you to be very specific on this, how
do you see the South African government’s role in going about
and achieving this peaceful end to the conflict and a
settlement that is permanent? Thank you.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chairperson, South Africa has developed
a particular DNA when it comes to settling conflicts and that
DNA is that conflicts are best settled through negotiation,
when warring parties sit around a table and find one another
and reach a settlement. That is what we’ve been bequeathed as
South Africans by the founding fathers of our nation. This is
what has brought us to where we are today – we negotiated our
own conflict through negotiation.
This is something that we enthusiastically always want to
export, not in an imposing or arrogant way, but just to share
experiences with other countries. To this end, President Zuma
appointed two envoys, as I said, to go to the Middle East and
interact with the conflicting parties in that part of the
world. Our commitment, mission and objective is to see the
Middle East conflict being settled through negotiation in a
permanent way.
How are we going to do this? We will use all manner of
strategies and tactics, if you like. Most of them can never
really be specific. The most specific is to say that the
warring parties must sit around a table and negotiate and find
one another.
The appointment of the two special envoys by President Zuma is
actually quite a defining act. Not many countries have done
that. We did that and they are out there, interacting with the
various parties and reporting to President Zuma on an ongoing
basis in terms of either the progress or the discussions they
have. We want to see a more permanent settlement ensuing out
there. That is why we hail and applaud the cease-fire
agreement that was arrived at and we hope that it will lead to
more permanent and peaceful solutions.
We are not acting alone, by the way. We have a number of other
parties that are involved. In this conflict we are trying to
bring in as much assistance as we possibly can and we are
rather pleased that Egypt provided the stimulus to ensure that
a settlement was reached and we will stand behind anyone who
is prepared to ensure that there is peace in the Middle East.
Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr B G NTHEBE: Hon Chair, Deputy President, you were so
eloquent in identifying that South Africa is part of the
international community and therefore has a special role to
play in the ongoing struggle to bring about the cessation of
hostilities there.
Is it this government’s wish that the special envoy continues
to play a critical role, moving forward, in the light of the
cessation of hostilities brought about by yesterday’s
agreement? Are there any history lessons that we want to bring
about, deriving from our history as a nation? Thank you.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chairperson, when President Zuma
appointed the two special envoys, one of his objectives were
for them to familiarise themselves with the situation out
there and to meet with various parties – both on the Israeli
and Palestinian side – and to engage them and to share our own
experiences with them and to show them how we went about
solving our problems, which the world at one stage thought
were intractable problems without any form of a solution.
These two envoys, Dr Zola Skweyiya and Mr Aziz Pahad, are imminent South
Africans who have lived through our own transition process and
participated in it and led it in a number of forms and ways
and they will be able to bring their experience and what they
have lived through to bear in terms of sharing South Africa’s
experiences with the parties in the Middle East. I expect that
they will remain engaged in the Middle East for quite a while
and make sure that they give whatever assistance or share
whatever experiences with various parties in the Middle East.
Our objective is to ensure that we have a peaceful world
across the board. We have a lot of experience in this regard.
Our own President, President Zuma, was a special envoy in
Burundi and he participated in that process for quite a long
time until the people of Burundi were able to settle their own
differences and conflicts. Our participation and sharing of
experiences were quite meaningful and they appreciated that
and they appreciate that to this day. So, we hope and trust
that the same will be obtained as our two envoys continue to
engage with the situation in the Middle East. Thank you.
[Applause.]