The Tel Aviv Tribune English website published a report on the impact of the elections that took place in South Africa last May on the country’s position on the Palestinian issue and Israel, saying that while the position of the ruling African National Congress Party (ANC) alone in the past will not change, there are fears that South Africa changes its approach towards Palestine and Israel.
The report, written by journalist Qantah Hunter, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, said that support within the country for the case that South Africa brought to the International Court of Justice in January regarding Israel committing “genocide” in Gaza was weaker among political parties other than the National Congress Party. African) ruling, while it was met with applause from a group of countries, especially in the Global South.
The writer pointed out that the main competitor of the Congress Party, the Democratic Alliance Party, opposed that step at the time, although it later asked Israel to abide by the interim rulings issued by the International Court of Justice, while the right-wing populist Nationalist Alliance described South Africa’s move as a “joke.” “.
Fears of changing approach
Now, five months later, the report says, the ANC has formed a coalition government to govern the country with the Democratic Alliance and, to a lesser extent, the National Alliance and the nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, raising concerns about changing South Africa’s approach to Israel. And Palestine.
It is noteworthy that the African National Congress was unable to achieve a majority in the elections last May for the first time since the end of apartheid in the country.
The writer said that the African National Congress Party insists that it will not change its position in support of Palestine despite the new coalition agreement, but analysts believe that South Africa, led by this coalition, may need to make internal trade-offs in continuing its policy towards Palestine after months of leading global efforts. To hold Israel accountable for its attack on Gaza, which killed more than 37,000 people.
Positions of other parties
She added that the Democratic Alliance Party and the Inkatha Party seek to remain neutral about the war, while the populist National Alliance in particular expressed its support for Israel.
In the final coalition agreement, a clause was included on foreign policy in which the ANC and its partners agreed on the principles on which the country’s foreign policy will be based, which are: “a foreign policy based on human rights, adherence to the Constitution, the national interest, solidarity and the peaceful resolution of conflicts to achieve the African Agenda 2063.” South-South, North-South cooperation, African cooperation, multilateralism and a just, peaceful and equitable world.”
While the ANC acknowledged that the Democratic Alliance was unlikely to change its position on Israel and Palestine, it declared that it would not abandon its long-standing solidarity with the Palestinians.
Misleading and populist
The Secretary-General of the African National Congress, Fikile Mbalula, answered whether his party would abandon its ideas on foreign policy, saying, “We will not change that,” and whether the Democratic Alliance would also change what it represents? “It won’t change that,” Mbalula told the media. He described suggestions that the African National Congress might back away from its critical stance on Israel as “misleading and populist.”
Mbalula stressed that they would continue to show solidarity with the people of Palestine, and that this was not an electoral position.
The report described South Africa’s support for Palestine as deeply rooted in its decades-long struggle against apartheid, with President Cyril Ramaphosa repeatedly describing Israel as an apartheid state.
He noted that the Democratic Alliance Party had moved away from its initial firm support for Israel and maintained a centrist appeal for “peace.”
Mutual accusations
In the period leading up to the elections, the report says, the ANC criticized the Democratic Alliance Party for taking a biased position towards Ukraine on the war there, with its leader, John Steenhausen, traveling to Kiev to show support against Russia, while not taking a similar position in support of Palestine. . The Democratic Alliance, in turn, accused the African National Congress of not adhering to principles in its foreign policy as a result of what it described as the “comfortable” relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The African National Congress government condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Ramaphosa sought to play a peacemaking role in the conflict but remained a friend of Putin and Russia.
While the African National Congress signed the agreement with its partners in the coalition that saw Ramaphosa re-elected on Friday, it affirmed its solidarity with Palestine at the global peace summit held recently by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Switzerland, and took a hard-line stance against Israel.
Clear rejection
South Africa’s representative at the summit, Sidney Mufamadi, who is Ramaphosa’s national security adviser, rejected the final statement due to Israel’s participation.
In a statement after the summit held in Bürgenstock, Mofumadi denounced what he described as international double standards in the application of international law.
He said that he was surprised by Israel’s presence and signing of the statement “just a few days after a reliable high-level committee appointed by the United Nations discovered that it had committed genocide, among other horrific crimes.”
The writer attributed Sivamandla Zondi, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Johannesburg, to say that the African National Congress, as a party, will not abandon its position on Palestine, but it will have to make concessions regarding the government’s actions.
Zondi told Tel Aviv Tribune that she believes that the ANC may not be able to pursue its lawsuits and push hard against Israel, and that the matter may turn into something like the main position that says, “This war must end,” which is almost similar to the position on Ukraine. .
Zondi explained that the Democratic Alliance’s position on Palestine is consistent with the position of center-right parties around the world, which condemn violence, but says they are not comfortable describing Israel’s actions as genocide.
It will definitely affect
She added that the coalition agreement will certainly affect the government’s case in the International Court of Justice, adding that the ANC depends on the Democratic Alliance.
Zondi said that although the ANC was unlikely to cede the portfolio of international relations ministries to its coalition partners, the Democratic Alliance Party would influence political decisions.
Under the coalition agreement, decisions in the unity government must be made through “sufficient consensus” and with the support of 60% of the parties participating in the agreement. This means that the ANC will not be able to make decisions on its own.
Zondi summed up by saying that if the African National Congress and the Inkatha Party agree on something, and the Democratic Alliance disagrees, the resolution can be passed, but if the Democratic Alliance and the Inkatha Party disagree with the National Congress Party, The ANC will not be able to act alone.