Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
5 December 2001
The recent spate of suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Haifa demonstrates a truly unacceptable level of violence has been reached in the Middle East conflict. The South African government unequivocally condemns these heinous acts of violence and offers sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad said, "the South African government urges restraint on the Israeli government in response to these acts. We are concerned at the statement made by Prime Minister Sharon in which he blames President Arafat for ‘everything that happens here’ and that ‘Arafat has chosen the path of terrorism’ as well as the Israeli Cabinet meeting decision that ‘the Government has determined that the Palestinian Authority is an entity that supports terrorism, and must be dealt with accordingly’. This declaration of war by Israel against the Palestinian National Authority will serve to inflame and provoke a volatile situation, trigger an increase in terrorist responses from the Palestinian side and result in more loss of life on both sides of the conflict. The massive attacks by the Israeli Defence Force against Palestinian targets is unacceptable. The legitimate international fight against terrorism cannot justify the Israeli military actions against the Palestinian people."
The South African government welcomes the announcement by President Arafat that he has declared a state of emergency in the Palestinian Occupied Territories and that to date 120 arrests in connection with attacks on Israel have been made, and that the Palestinian Authority leadership: "considers any group or organisation that does not adhere to its decisions, especially those groups that serve the goals of the extremist forces in Israel, as outside of the law." The South African government urges the Palestinian National Authority to do all in its capacity, despite the deliberate and targeted destruction of the Palestinian security structures by Israeli forces to ensure that its efforts to adhere to a cease-fire are successful.
However, the closures on the Palestinian Occupied Territories hinder efforts of the Palestinian Authority security forces to freely move throughout the Territories in the course of apprehending the perpetrators of violence and the South African government calls on Israel to lift the closures with immediate effect in order to further the interests of security for Palestinian and Israeli citizens. Furthermore, the attacks on Palestinian security installations in Gaza and the West Bank are weakening the very Palestinian structures that are required to curb Palestinian extremists.
The suicide bombs and the Israeli government actions are undermining the efforts of Retired General Anthony Zinni and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, William Burns, who began their new role as US envoys to the region last week, to seek to break the deadlock in the Peace Process. People opposed to the peace process will do everything to sabotage it. Tragically the lives of Palestinians and Israelis are of no consequence to them.
The South African government once again re-affirms it position that the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self determination in their own, sovereign State, cannot be denied. In order to achieve a just and lasting peace in which both Israel and Palestine can exist as independent States within secure borders requires both sides to sit down and talk, in good faith, through the final status issues. UNSC resolutions 242 and 338 as well as the land for peace principle underline the international acceptance of this view.
South Africa does not believe that the Israeli government’s setting of unreasonable time frames or preconditions will enable the negotiating process to start. All issues of concern can and must be raised at the negotiating table. To this end we will continue to support efforts to deploy an international monitoring mechanism in the Occupied Palestinian Territories so that there can be impartial arbitration of a cease-fire and a rapid move towards talks in line with the Mitchell Report recommendations and the Tenet Understandings for restoring calm and building confidence.
For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853