BDS South Africa together with the Coalition for a Free Palestine and others have called for a national week of action (19-25 November) in protest of Israel's recent attacks on the Gaza Strip. As part of this, on Wednesday the 21st of November there will be a 24 hour vigil outside South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO):

24-HOUR NIGHT VIGIL
STARTS: 06h00 Wednesday, 21 November
ENDS: 06h00 Thursday, 22 November
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/events/100797730087212/
WHERE: SA Department of International Relations and Cooperation
(460 Soutpansberg Road, Pretoria/Tshwane)

For more info on this event and other actions:
www.bdssouthafrica.com/2011/11/gazaunderattack.html

Last week, on Wednesday the 14th of November, in clear violation of a truce that had just been agreed to, Israel carried out an extra-jurisdictional assassination of Palestinian political activist and member of Hamas, Ahmed Jabari. Only hours before his death, Jabari intended and was in the process of finalizing a long-term ceasefire peace agreement with Israel.

Since Wednesday and the illegal assassination of Jabari, Israel has subsequently embarked on a full-scale military offensive on the Gaza Strip killing over 72 people, including 16 children and a pregnant woman with her unborn twins. In addition, over 520 civilians have been wounded. Yesterday (Sunday the 18th of October), marking the deadliest single Israeli attack, 10 members of one family were killed in an Israeli air-strike on the Palestinian home of the Al-Dula family. The dead include 4 children (who were 2 to 5 years), their mother, an aunt, a cousin, an 81 year old grandmother as well as two neighbours. (Find a Los Angeles Times news report here: http://tinyurl.com/d4p7j45)

Even at the height of Apartheid in SA we didn't have F16 fighter-jets, military tanks or ground incursions on the scale that the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are currently experiencing. These sort of Israeli attacks tragically confirm the position of the ANC chairperson, Baleka Mbete, who said at the October ANC International Solidarity Conference that the situation of the Palestinians is "far worse" than the conditions were under apartheid. The recent ANC National Policy Conference at Gallagher Estate was also very clear that the "ANC is unequivocal in its support for the Palestinian people in their struggle for self-determination, and unapologetic in its view that the Palestinians are the victims and the oppressed in the conflict with Israel." In line with this ANC position and in protest of Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip, we are calling on the South African government to: A) Immediately recall the South African ambassador from Tel Aviv; B) Expel the Israeli ambassador from Pretoria; and, C) Impose broad-based boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) on Israel until it ends its violence against the Palestinian people, abides to international law and respects human rights.

BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS in SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)
T: +27 (0) 11 492 2414 | F: +27 (0) 86 650 4836
W: www.bdssouthafrica.com | E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.facebook.com/bdssouthafrica | www.twitter.com/bdssouthafrica

Monday, 19 November 2012

Darul Ihsan Media Desk