The Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, directed what Parliament’s media office termed a ‘clarion call’ to MPs across the world to cooperate to achieve a just and enduring peace in the Middle East.
She made the call – a reference to the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas – in a speech at a summit of the International Parliamentary Union in Luanda.
According to a statement issued by the parliamentary media office, the Speaker was a leading voice in calling for parliamentarians to act.
‘Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula urged the legislators to take concrete action and implement the United Nations resolution for a just, comprehensive, and peaceful two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. She said South Africa stands ready to contribute its expertise in mediation and conflict resolution, drawing from its experience not just on the African continent but around the world. She said that the words of the founding father of democracy in South Africa, former President Nelson Mandela, remain true and relevant when he said, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”’
A motion was submitted by representatives of the Arab Group, by South Africa (on behalf of the African Group) as well as Indonesia and Iran to debate ‘Stopping the war and violations of human rights in Gaza.’ It was not adopted as it failed to garner the necessary two thirds support from the plenary.
South Africa has expressed fierce opposition to Israel during the course of this conflict and strong ‘solidarity’ with the Palestinians. Critics have noted a failure unambiguously to condemn the initial Hamas attack on Israeli civilians, always linking this to Israel’s misdeeds. Criticism of Israel – including allusions to the perpetration of genocide – is typically not qualified in this manner.
[Image: ErikaWittlieb from Pixabay]