The South African Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes criticized the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan for the normalisation agreement with Israel.

Speaking at the Africa- Palestine Workshop, which is a seminar held on the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the South African Minister stated that the “Reform of the United Nations is paramount to achieving justice for the Palestinians”.

The event is hosted by South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), South Africa’s Department of Arts, Culture and Sport, the Embassy of Palestine in South Africa; together with the United Nations South Africa and solidarity group Africa 4 Palestine.

“Trump supported Israel to realise an incredible set of diplomatic and strategic gains at virtually no cost in concessions to the Palestinians” The Deputy Minister stated as he held outgoing US President Donald Trump responsible for facilitating Israel’s agenda in the region.

“Israel is exploiting the situation to escalate its violations in accelerating its settlement colonisation and annexation schemes by continuing to demolish and confiscate Palestinian-owned structures and homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and further entrenching its military occupation,” Minister Botes stated while detailing the plight of Palestinians.

Many African and Arab diplomats and ambassadors serving in South Africa including those from Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon as well as representatives of the civil society groups in the country displayed solidarity with the Palestinian people at the seminar, calling the UN out on not having taken the necessary action to end Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine land.

Lesotho’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Machesetsa Mofomobe, said that the UN must take a principled position on the colonization of one country over another: “The UN has a duty toward the decolonisation of Palestine and to systematically alleviate the plight of Palestinians”.

Mofomobe called for the cessation of all settlement activities and the release of all Palestinian political prisoners and the establishment of an independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. Defending the rights of Palestinians, he stated that “We cannot still be witnessing remnants of colonialism in the twenty-first century when globalisation is the order of the day”.