The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) says South Africa remains consistent and unwavering in its moral support for the struggle of the Palestinian people in their struggles against the occupation.

These comments come after President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted a letter of Credence from the new Israeli Ambassador to South Africa.

Dirco says post-apartheid South Africa and "Israel" have always maintained formal diplomatic ties.

“In part, a diplomatic presence has allowed South Africa to play a role with its international partners in the ongoing efforts to end the occupation of Palestine,” said Dirco in a statement.

In 2018, South Africa recalled the Israeli Ambassador to downgrade diplomatic presence in Israel as part of the process.
However, last week, Ramaphosa warmly received the newly appointed Israeli Ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotsecovsky, and 13 Heads of Mission-Designate who arrived in South Africa to serve in diplomatic missions in South Africa.

“The situation is dynamic, and South Africa will ensure that its diplomatic presence is strategic and geared towards ending the occupation,” said Dirco.

“Our country draws a direct parallel between the former apartheid regime and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.”

It further stated: “Like the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), we consider Palestine, together with Western Sahara, as unfinished decolonisation struggles.”

This has been a priority for the South African foreign policy agenda since former President Nelson Mandela’s time in office.

Madiba said in 1997, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

Dirco says South Africa has taken its support for Palestine to multilateral platforms and acted as a catalyst and amplifier of Palestinian positions on the international stage.

“We have initiated and supported countless draft resolutions in favour of Palestine; has gone to every open United Nations Security Council meeting addressing the Palestinian question; held consistent voting behaviour since 1994; backed the Palestinian UN bid for statehood and more generally the 2009 “Palestine 194” diplomatic campaign; defended Palestinians in all peace conferences, and used our influence to counter recent Israeli diplomatic offensives that could have proved harmful to Palestinian ties to other African countries,” said Dirco.

Over the last two years, South Africa has been instrumental in stepping up pressure on the Israeli government.

In partnership with the Government of Namibia, Palestinian Human Rights Organisations, Israeli Human Rights Organisations and international legal scholars, to catalyse discussions on whether the actions of the Israeli government contravenes international legal prohibitions on the Crime of Apartheid. 

“Organisations like Human Rights Watch and B’Tselem, the largest Israeli human rights organisation, have found that the actions of the Government of Israel have been akin to apartheid,” said Dirco.  

South Africa remains determined to continue working with the international community to launch a credible, time-bound, multilaterally-sponsored political process to resolve the issue of the Palestinian cause based on international law.

“In this regard, South Africa will continue to support concrete and genuine efforts towards achieving this just and lasting solution, which we believe will greatly contribute to peace, justice and stability in that region,” concluded the department.