19 March 2002
The South African Communist Party (SACP) calls on all South Africans to use Human Rights Day to, amongst other things, express their solidarity with the oppressed and struggling people of Palestine. In particular, the SACP calls on all South Africans to join the Palestine Solidarity March to the Israeli and US embassies as detailed below.
DATE : Thursday, 21 March 2002
TIME : 12h00 - 14h00
VENUE : Venning Park, Schoeman Street, Pretoria
The past few weeks have seen some of the most brutal attacks by the fourth largest army in the world against a civilian population. The continuing demolition, bombing and shelling of Palestinian homes and their forced replacement by Israeli settlements inside the occupied territories is genocidal and akin to apartheid forced removals in South Africa.
The situation in Palestine represents 53 years of apartheid, occupation, Israeli state terrorism, violent subjugation and an unfair economic blockade of Palestine by Israel. Even more tragic has been the insufficient international outcry at this situation a silence which basically amounts to a pat on the back for the apartheid Israeli state. Israeli aggression does not mean peace and security for Israel. At the end of the day, the liberation of Palestine is inevitable and sooner rather than later, the Israelis will have to climb down and meet the demands of the Palestinian people.
The goal of the Palestinian people is the implementation of the UN resolutions on ending the Israeli occupation, the establishment of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and securing the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in Israel. The Palestinian people are also calling for an international investigation into Israeli aggression, the deployment of an international protection force and ending the role of the US as the sole mediator of the Israeli-Palestine negotiations process. The SACP supports these legitimate goals of the people of Palestine. The SACP calls on the UN to stop issuing calls but to be actively seized and intervene in the crisis.
The SACP calls on South African media, in particular the SABC as the public broadcaster to expose Israeli aggression and openly discuss the legitimate interests and demands for a free Palestine.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity South African Communist
Party
Tel - 011 339 3621
Fax - 011 339 4244
Cell - 083 651 0271
Email - sacp1@wn.apc.org