Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
6 August 2001
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad, today called on Israel to immediately cease its extra-judicial executions of Palestinians and desist from further military attacks within Palestinian controlled areas.
"The Israeli policy of extra-judicial killings is a violation of key tenets of natural justice and provisions of international humanitarian law. It serves only to inflame a tense situation in the region" the Deputy Minister stated. "South Africa joins the international community in expressing its dismay and concern that extra judicial killings have become part of government policy"
The Deputy Minister went on to comment: "far from decreasing violent attacks against Israel, excessive use of force by the IDF can only serve to fuel extremism"
The Deputy Minister called upon the Israeli Government to re-commit itself to its self-declared policy of restraint and to give peace efforts, including the Mitchell Report, the Egyptian - Jordanian Initiative and the Tenet Plan, a chance to succeed. The IDF attacks on Nablus, and other Palestinian cities, re-emphasises the need for the immediate implementation of an international monitoring force in the Palestinian Territories in order to ensure the Palestinians and Israelis can sustain a cease-fire and start to bring down the level of violence.
Deputy Minister further called on the Israeli authorities to start political negotiations without any pre-conditions..
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