Protests in South Africa against UAE-Israel peace pact

Protest outside the Israeli Embassy in South Africa on 14 August 2020 [#Africa4Palestine]

Protest outside the Israeli Embassy in South Africa on 14 August 2020 [#Africa4Palestine]

Protest outside the Israeli Embassy in South Africa on 14 August 2020 [#Africa4Palestine]

Protest outside the Israeli Embassy in South Africa on 14 August 2020 [#Africa4Palestine]

Protest outside the Israeli Embassy in South Africa on 14 August 2020 [#Africa4Palestine]

Scores of people demonstrated outside the Israeli Embassy in South Africa today in condemnation of the UAE’s peace agreement with the occupation state and calling for the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Nawajaa.

Members of #Africa4Palestine, the South African Communist Party, Swaziland Solidarity Network and trade union NEHAWU gathered for a picket at lunch time, and were addressed by a member of the Embassy of Palestine.

South Africans hold Palestine protest

The human rights organisation #Africa4Palestine protested today at the Israel Embassy (Sandton office) condemning the UAE-Israel-US deal & calling for the release of imprisoned Palestinian activist Mahmoud Nawajaa. https://t.co/GLhjBI5s8h pic.twitter.com/lmqxhRgEz9

— #Africa4Palestine (@Africa4Pal) August 14, 2020

“Certain Arab governments have a record of colluding with the USA in their oppressive policies in the Middle East, however, we know that the Arab peoples, on the other hand, have always stood against oppression,” #Africa4Palestine said in a statement after the event.

Yesterday, US President Donlad Trump announced that he had brokered a deal which would see the Emirates and Israel normalise ties and begin the establishment of diplomatic and trade missions in each others’ countries.

READ: The UAE is a tool in the service of the US and Israel

The UAE said the move would stop Tel Aviv annexing large swathes of the occupied West Bank as it had promised to do, however Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a press conference yesterday that “There is no change in our plan to extend sovereignty to Judea and Samaria…It is not off the table as far as I am concerned.”

“The USA once tried to use African governments to collude with Apartheid South Africa so we are familiar with such tactics,” #Africa4Palestine continued in its statement.

The protest was also held to highlight the plight of the unlawful detention by Israel of the Palestinian activist, Mahmoud Nawajaa. In the early hours of 30 July 2020, Israeli soldiers broke into BDS leader Nawajaa’s home, handcuffed and blindfolded him, and marched him out, in front of his wife and two small children. He is currently being prohibited from seeing his lawyer and is being kept in detention without trial.

#Africa4Palestine is planning more protests in the future.