14 August 2020

The human rights organisation, #Africa4Palestine, held a protest today at the Israeli Embassy (Sandton office) condemning the UAE-Israel-USA deal and calling for Israel to release the illegally imprisoned Palestinian activist, Mahmoud Nawajaa..

Observing strict social distancing guidelines, members of #Africa4Palestine, the South African Communist Party, Swaziland Solidarity Network and trade union NEHAWU gathered for a lunch time picket. The protestors were also addressed by a member of the Embassy of Palestine.

#Africa4Palestine joins our Palestinian counterparts in condemning this latest interference by Donald Trump’s US administration. 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.

The USA once tried to use African governments to collude with Apartheid South Africa so we are familiar with such tactics. However, at the end, the will of the peoples of a region – be it in the Middle East or in Africa – will be the deciding factor.

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 30th July 2020, Israeli soldiers broke into Palestinian BDS leader Mahmoud Nawajaa home’s, 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 having had a trial. Nawajaa’s detention has been condemned by Amnesty International, Jewish activists in Israel and human rights defenders the world over.

There are currently over 500 #Palestinian Political Prisoners detained by Israel. Over the past 50 years, more than 800 000 Palestinians have been imprisoned or detained by Israel. Virtually every single Palestinian family has been affected by Israeli imprisonment of a loved one. Presently there are more than 500 Palestinians held under Israel’s “administrative detention” (equivalent of Apartheid SA’s “detention without trial”). Israel is also holding over 250 Palestinian children (some as young as 13 years old).

Africa4Palestine will be holding follow up protests in the coming weeks until Nawajaa is released and as an organization will be accelerating its work with partners across the African and Middle Eastern regions to ensure that a just peace in Israel-Palestine is achieved.

ISSUED BY #AFRICA4PALESTINE

Director, Muhammed Desai: +27 (0) 84 211 9988
Spokesperson, Tisetso Magama: +27 (0) 61 414 6348