Riyaz Patel
The South African Communist Party (SACP) has condemned the “apartheid regime of Israel for expanding and building illegal settlements on the land of the Palestinian people.”
The strong condemnation is in response to Washington’s recognition of “illegal” Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
“The SACP further condemns the United States of America for endorsing the expropriation of the Palestinian people’s land and their oppression by Israel.”
“The relentless aggression against the Palestinian people by the apartheid and imperialist regimes of Israel and the US respectively is one of the many examples which show their nefarious policy of domination and subjugation of the peoples of the world,” the SACP said.
The Party added that the US stance is clearly in gross violation of international law.
“It is in violation of all decisions, determinations and resolutions of international bodies, including the United Nations, on the question of Israel’s settlements on Palestinian land.”
“The condonation by the US of the colonial settlements is driven in the context of an intensified violation of international law by the Donald Trump administration for the full legitimisation of the colonisation of Palestine by apartheid Israel.”
The SACP called on the UN to join the “progressive world” in condemning both the Israeli act of building its colonial settlements on Palestinian land, as well as its recognition by the US.
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“The SACP further calls upon the working class of South Africa, the African continent and the entire world to add more militant voices and democratic solidarity action to the call for the end of apartheid Israel’s occupation of Palestine.”
Amnesty International USA was emphatic in its response:
“Let’s Be Clear: Israel’s long-running policy of settling civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
Amnesty further quoted from a statement of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission (FFM) on Israeli Settlements which found “a multitude of the human rights of the Palestinians are violated in various forms and ways due to the existence of the settlements.
“Israel is committing serious breaches of its obligations under the right to self-determination and under humanitarian law.”
