Joint media statement by the Media Review Network and #Africa4Palestine:

Meeting sought with South Africa’s Minister of Justice over SA citizens involved in Apartheid Israel military

24 November 2021

The recent death of a Eliyahu David Kay, who emigrated from Johannesburg to Israel (and thereafter gained Israeli citizenship and joined the Israeli army) has prompted human rights groups, the Media Review Network (MRN) and #Africa4Palestine, to seek an urgent meeting with South Africa’s Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola.

South Africans who choose to live in illegal occupied territories and serve in the Apartheid Israel army are a disgrace to South Africa and the values we hold. They are also in violation of the Foreign Military Assistance Act among other legislation if they continue to hold their SA passports.

MRN and #Africa4Palestine have written to Minister Ronald Lamola, requesting a meeting to discuss how to curb the problem of South Africans participating in foreign wars and military activities, in contravention of South Africa’s laws and policies and to finding ways to strengthen existing mechanisms to hold South Africans accountable for human rights violations abroad. We are in talks with the Minister’s office and look forward to the meeting once confirmed.

We are also gravely concerned by what seems to be the way in which the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, the SA Zionist Federation, the SA Jewish Report and the Israeli embassy are active in recruiting, facilitating, encouraging, supporting and then celebrating South African citizen participation in the Israeli army. An army accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Eliyahu David Kay died during gun fire with Palestinians near the Bab al-Silsila (Chain Gate), one of Al-Aqsa Mosque’s main gates, in the illegally Israeli occupied Old City in East Jerusalem (recognised by South Africa, the UN and the virtual majority of world government’s as the capital of Palestine). We must be clear that Americans, South Africans or any other person who emigrates to Apartheid Israel and lives in an illegal settlement in the unlawfully occupied Palestinian territories is committing & complicit in flagrant violations of international law.

“Eliyahu David Kay, who was killed in occupied Jerusalem today, is a white South African who recently moved to the Zionist settler colony and joined its ‘army’ to help murder Palestinians and steal their land,” Palestinian journalist Ali Abunimah commented on Twitter. “He was clearly addicted to apartheid and colonialism,” he added.

Just a few days ago, the SA Jewish Report, in a glowing review celebrated a South African citizen, Kelly Odes, for her “great achievement” in getting to “serve in the Spokespersons unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)”. This sort of encouragement to participate in the foreign and barbaric Israeli occupation forces is reprehensible and is an affront to the principles and values of the democratic South Africa.

Joint media statement issued by the Media Review Network and #Africa4Palestine

For comment:

Africa4Palestine, Tisetso Magama, +27 61 414 6348

Media Review Network, Ahmed Jazbhay: +27 84 871 0966

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