President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday chanted a statement that many regard as anti-Israel at a large gathering of ANC supporters in Johannesburg.
Towards the end of his speech at the ANC’s Siyanqoba rally at FNB stadium in Soweto, Ramaphosa chanted “free free Palestine, from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free”.
The words 'from the river to sea” refers to the land from the river Jordan in the Middle East to the Mediterranean Sea — and many argue that it implies the destruction of Israel which occupies most of that area.
It is unusual for a head of state to use those words which are seen to be controversial.
Ramaphosa said that South Africans and the world were harrowed by the genocide that was being meted on the people of Palestine. He said that “we want Israel to enable humanitarian aid into Gaza right now”.
“There must be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, particularly following the decision of the International Court of Justice just on Saturday — after SA approached the court again,” he said at the rally.
“It has now ruled that yes, Israel must stop the attack against the people of Palestine, in Rafah, in Gaza — and we say we want a ceasefire now,” he said. He added that the ANC will continue to champion the cause of the people of Palestine.
The government earlier this year approached the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands for an order to declare the military actions of Israel in Gaza as genocide.
“The whole world is appalled at the genocide that is being committed against the people of Palestine,” he said.
“For us as the ANC, we will continue to stand with the people of Palestine because our own freedom is intricately linked with the freedom of the people of Palestine. And we say free free Palestine. Free Free Palestine, from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free,” chanted Ramaphosa.
He said: “We must continue to exert pressure so that the people of Palestine must also enjoy the peace that all of us we are enjoying.”
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