NEHAWU LAUDS THE ANC FOR PUBLICLY AFFIRMING ITS SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE
NEHAWU commends the African National Congress {ANC} for publicly supporting the upcoming Palestine Solidarity Israeli Apartheid Week{IAW} campaign set to take place between the 10-16th of March 2014.This bold and unequivocal statement in support of the Palestinians is in line with the 53rd National Conference resolutions of our glorious movement. In its last conference, the ANC reiterated its commitment to its founding values of a struggle for a humane, just, equitable, democratic, and free world. It resolved to support the Palestinians in their quest for freedom and self-determination.
Historically, the ANC and its government has used its progressive internationalism as a prism through which it views the world and its independent views and courage on the international stage has made it a reliable ally and a leader in its own right.
This courage was demonstrated by the ANC led government last year ,when the Minister of International Relations, Cde Maite Nkoana-Mashabne unequivocally expressed government's long-standing position of supporting the struggle for the people of Palestine and denounced the apartheid policies of the state of Israeli.
Addressing the International Relations Committee (IRC) meeting of COSATU, she said that: "Ministers of South Africa do not visit Israel currently...our Palestinian friends have asked us in formal meetings to not engage with the [Israeli] regime. We have agreed to slow down and curtail senior leadership contact with that regime until things begin to look better".
NEHAWU is fully behind this bold and decisive leadership by our movement and urges the leadership to stand courageously by its principles and convictions and refuse to be intimidated by the Zionist lobby and its apologists. The ANC and its government should claim moral leadership in international affairs and should ally itself with all nations that show tolerance for all races and treat all people in a humane manner.
Palestinians are still subjected to merciless blockades by the Israeli army and still suffer from widespread land and property dispossessions. South Africans of all stripes have a moral responsibility to condemn the apartheid practices and policies of the Israeli government and join efforts to force it to uphold the international law that condemns racial oppression.
NEHAWU is fully behind the Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) that seeks to raise awareness about Israel's apartheid policies towards the Palestinians and to build support for the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. We are also calling on other organisations and businesses to show their rejection of Israel's military and political aggression, by joining the BDS campaign.
We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Palestine and we are calling for an end to the evictions of the Palestinians. We are fully behind the call for all political prisoners and detainees to be released immediately. Our union supports the formation of an independent Palestinian state with East-Jerusalem as its capital. The Israelis must affirm the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.
Statement issued by NEHAWU, March 5 2014
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