Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
18 July 2001
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Aziz Pahad, this morning, expressed his deep concern at the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East and the increasing collapse of the cease-fire between Israel and its Palestinian neighbour.
The South African Government is deeply concerned by Israel’s continued policy of executing Palestinian activists, the latest example being a rocket attack by Israeli forces yesterday, in which four Palestinians were killed in Bethlehem. This practice is one which has been widely condemned by the international community and the Government of Israel should take note of the world’s growing revulsion at this kind of action, which is increasingly viewed as a form of extra-judicial execution.
The South African Government in line with its consistent policy condemns the recent suicide bombing in Benyamina, and the most recent mortar attack on an Israeli settlement near Jerusalem. In this regard, it has noted with satisfaction the condemnation of this suicide bombing issued by the Palestinian National Authority and also its call for a cessation of all-violent actions and incitement by all parties.
It is South Africa’s view that the increasing reprisal attacks by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian territories are an ongoing source of provocation. South Africa is also disturbed by the reports indicating that with apparent consent of the Israeli Government and on several occasions under the protection of the Israeli Defence Force, the settlers have been allowed to continue to harass and attack the Palestinian civilians, damage their property and destroy their crops.
The South African Government therefore calls on the Israeli Government to issue a call similar to that of the Palestinian authorities for the cessation of all violent actions and incitement by all parties, backed up by an all-out effort of the Israeli authorities to achieve a cessation of settler violence.
The Deputy Minister said that note had been taken of Foreign Minister Peres’ denial of the intention of the Israeli Government to launch the largest military invasion of the Palestinian territories since the onset of the current violence in September 2000. If reports in this regard are true, it would indicate once again that the Israeli Government seems intent to respond to random attacks by Palestinian individuals with excessive force directed at the Palestinian National Authority targets and Palestinian society at large. The South African Government finds such an approach unwarranted, especially in the light of the efforts being made by the Palestinian National Authority to curb anti-Israeli violence.
The South African Government accordingly calls on all parties to abide scrupulously by the cease-fire agreement and to refrain from any action which might escalate the conflict, especially given that both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian National Authority have engaged themselves publicly in a process of curbing the violence with the intention of resuming negotiations.
The Deputy Minister said that "the international community must act decisively to ensure that the peace efforts, including the Mitchell report, the Egyptian and Jordanian initiative and the Tennet plan, are implemented. This is the only way to ensure that the Middle East region does not again descend into an all-out regional conflagration with dire consequences for world peace and security."
The South African Government expresses its sincere condolences to the bereaved families in both Palestine and Israel.
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