President Cyril Ramaphosa told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that South Africa lived and experienced apartheid hence it will not remain silent and watch as apartheid is perpetrated on Palestinian people.
Ramaphosa delivered his speech before the UNGA’s annual high-level debate on Tuesday.
"The violence the Palestinian people are being subjected to is a grim continuation of more than half a century of apartheid that has been perpetrated against Palestinians by Israel.
"We South Africans know what apartheid looks like. We lived through apartheid. We suffered and died under apartheid. We will not remain silent and watch as apartheid is perpetrated against others," Ramaphosa said.
He added that its been 11 months since the Hamas attack killed over 1,000 people and some people were taken hostage – this attack was strongly condemned by South Africa.
He said in response, Israel embarked on an act of collective punishment in its assault on the people of Gaza and the torment of the people continues unabated.
Ramaphosa called for an immediate ceasefire, and for the release of all hostages.
"No state is more equal than any other ... We must end the suffering that Palestinians are being subjected to. We are called upon to uphold the principles of the UN Charter and to uphold consistently and in their entirety the fundamental tenets of international law. International law cannot be applied selectively," Ramaphosa added.
In May, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt its offensive in the Gaza city of Rafah, and urged UN member states to back it.
This comes after South Africa brought a case before the ICJ alleging that the Israeli military operation in Gaza, launched in response to the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants, amounts to "genocide".
The court is considering that case, but in the interim has brought in "preliminary measures" ordering Israel to do everything it can to prevent acts of genocide during its campaign against Hamas.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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