President Cyril Ramaphosa says the only way to find peace in Israel and Palestine is by ‘the fulfilment of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to human rights, dignity and statehood’.
Ramaphosa addressed the Cairo Summit for Peace which was called by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres also attended.
‘As South Africa, we hold the firm view that the attack on civilians in Israel, the ongoing siege of Gaza and the decision to forcibly move the people of Gaza, together with the indiscriminate use of force through bombing, are violations of international law. More than that, these acts are an affront to our common humanity.’
‘We also call for a United Nations-led negotiation process towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’, he said.
‘The international community has a responsibility and a duty to support peace and to create favourable conditions for negotiation and dialogue.’
‘Our people waged a brave and courageous struggle to achieve their freedom and were subjected to untold suffering, just like the Palestinians are going through. The nightmare of apartheid was only brought to an end by the relentless struggle of our people, and the courage and foresight of leaders who put aside their differences and sought peace rather than revenge.’
‘We are concerned that the response of the Israeli government to the attack on its citizens will further deepen a conflict that has engulfed the region for many decades and will make the attainment of a just and lasting peace even more difficult. We are also concerned that this conflict can spread to include other countries in the region. This must be avoided at all costs.
‘The only way to bring about peace is the fulfilment of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to human rights, dignity and statehood.’