We fought apartheid; we see no reason to celebrate it in Israel now!

We, South Africans who faced the might of unjust and brutal apartheid machinery in South Africa and fought against it with all our strength, with the objective to live in a just, democratic society, refuse today to celebrate the existence of an Apartheid state in the Middle East. While Israel and its apologists around the world will, with pomp and ceremony, loudly proclaim the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel this month, we who have lived with and struggled against oppression and colonialism will, instead, remember 6 decades of catastrophe for the Palestinian people. 60 years ago, 750,000 Palestinians were brutally expelled from their homeland, suffering persecution, massacres, and torture. They and their descendants remain refugees. This is no reason to celebrate.

When we think of the Sharpeville massacre of 1960,  we also remember the Deir Yassin massacre of 1948.    

When we think of South Africa’s Bantustan policy, we remember the bantustanisation of Palestine by the Israelis.    

When we think of our heroes who languished on Robben Island and elsewhere, we remember the 11,000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails.    

When we think of the massive land theft perpetrated against the people of South Africa, we remember that the theft of Palestinian land continues with the building of illegal Israeli settlements and the Apartheid Wall.    

When we think of the Group Areas Act and other such apartheid legislation, we remember that 93% of the land in Israel is reserved for Jewish use only.    

When we think of Black people being systematically dispossessed in South Africa, we remember that Israel uses ethnic and racial dispossession to strike at the heart of Palestinian life.    

When we think of how the SADF troops persecuted our people in the townships, we remember that attacks from tanks, fighter jets and helicopter gunships are the daily experience of Palestinians in the Occupied Territory.    

When we think of the SADF attacks against our neighbouring states, we remember that Israel deliberately destabilises the Middle East region and threatens international peace and security, including with its 100s of nuclear warheads. 

We who have fought against Apartheid and vowed not to allow it to happen again can not allow Israel to continue perpetrating apartheid, colonialism and occupation against the indigenous people of Palestine.    

We dare not allow Israel to continue violating international law with impunity.

We will not stand by while Israel continues to starve and bomb the people of Gaza.    

We who fought all our lives for South Africa to be a state for all its people demand that millions of Palestinian refugees must be accorded the right to return to the homes from where they were expelled.    

Apartheid was a gross violation of human rights.  It was so in South Africa and it is so with regard to Israel’s persecution of the Palestinians!

  Ronnie Kasrils, Minister of Intelligence / End Occupation Campaign    

  Blade Nzimande, General Secretary, South African Communist Party    

  Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary, Congress of South African Trade Unions    

  Ahmed Kathrada, Nelson Mandela Foundation    

  Eddie Makue, General Secretary, South African Council of Churches    

  Makoma Lekalakala, Social Movements Indaba    

  Dale McKinley, Anti-Privatisation Forum    

  Lybon Mabasa, President, Socialist Party of Azania    

  Costa Gazi, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania    

  Jeremy Cronin, South African Communist Party    

  Sydney Mufamadi, Minister of Provincial and Local Government    

  Mosioua Terror Lekota, Minister of Safety and Security    

  Mosibudi Mangena, President, Azanian Peoples Organisation / Minister of Science and Technology    

  Alec Erwin, Minister of Public Enterprises    

  Essop Pahad, Minister in the Presidency    

  Enver Surty, Deputy Minister of Education 

  Roy Padayache, Deputy Minister of Communications    

  Derek Hanekom, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology    

  Rob Davies, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry 

  Lorretta Jacobus, Deputy Minister of Correctional Services    

  Sam Ramsamy, International Olympic Committee    

  Yasmin Sooka, Executive Director, Foundation for Human Rights    

  Pregs Govender, Feminist Activist and Author: Love and Courage, A Story of Insubordination    

  Adam Habib, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Johannesburg    

  Frene Ginwala, African National Congress    

  Salim Vally, Palestine Solidarity Committee    

  Na'eem Jeenah, Palestine Solidarity Committee    

  Brian Ashley, Amandla Publications    

  Mercia Andrews, Palestine Solidarity Group    

  Andile Mngxitama, land rights activist    

  Farid Esack, Professor of Contemporary Islam,  Harvard University    

  Elinor Sisulu, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition    

  Andre Zaaiman    

  Virginia Setshedi, Coalition Against Water Privatisation    

  Max Ozinsky, Not in my Name    

  Revd Basil Manning, Minister, United Congregational Church of Southern Africa    

  Firoz Osman, Media Review Network    

  Zapiro, cartoonist    

  Mphutlane wa Bofelo, General Secretary, Muslim Youth Movement    

  Steven Friedman, academic    

  Ighsaan Hendricks, President, Muslim Judicial Council    

  Iqbal Jassat, Media Review Network    

  Stiaan van der Merwe, Palestine Solidarity Committee    

  Naaziem Adam, Palestine Solidarity Alliance    

  Asha Moodley, Board member of Agenda feminist journal    

  Suraya Bibi Khan, Palestine Solidarity Alliance    

  Nazir Osman, Palestine Solidarity Alliance    

  Allan Horwitz, Jewish Voices    

  Jackie Dugard, legal and human rights activist    

  Professor Alan and Beata Lipman    

  Caroline O'Reilly, researcher    

  Jane Lipman    

  Shereen Mills, Human rights lawyer, Centre for Applied Legal Studies    

  Noor Nieftagodien, University of the Witwatersrand    

  Bobby Peek, Groundworks    

  Arnold Tsunga, Chair, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition    

  Mcebisi Skwatsha, Provincial Secretary, ANC Western Cape    

  Owen Manda, Centre for Sociological Research, University of Johannesburg    

  Claire Cerruti, Keep Left    

NB: Organisational affiliations above are for identification purposes only and do not necessarily reflect organisational endorsement    

  Organisational endorsements:    

  African National Congress    

  Al Quds Foundation    

  Anti-Privatisation Forum and its 28 affiliates    

  Azanian Peoples Organisation    

  Congress of South African Trade Unions    

  Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition    

  End Occupation Campaign    

  Groundworks    

  Media Review Network    

  Muslim Judicial Council    

  Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa    

  Not In My Name    

  Palestine Solidarity Alliance    

  Palestine Solidarity Committee    

  Palestine Solidarity Group    

  Social Movements Indaba    

  Socialist Party of Azania    

  South African Communist Party    

  South African Council of Churches