October 3, 2024
Africa4Palestine unequivocally condemns the Israeli Embassy’s appalling plan to commemorate the October 7th military action by Palestinian resistance forces—an event we deem nothing short of a “Genocide Dinner Party.” Our organization has intercepted an invitation to this disgraceful banquet, sent to government representatives and diplomatic missions in South Africa. This grotesque celebration, masked as a diplomatic event, seeks to wine and dine dignitaries while glorifying the mass murder of over 50,000 Palestinians, including toddlers, pregnant women, the elderly, and the disabled—innocent lives taken by the Israeli regime.
We call on all South Africans of conscience to reject this invitation with the utmost contempt. It is morally reprehensible for anyone to feast in the name of those suffering under the relentless terror of Israeli aggression. Since October 7th, Israel has dropped over 12 tonnes of explosives on Gaza—the equivalent of a nuclear bomb—specifically targeting defenceless civilians, including women and children. To attend this “dinner party” is to be complicit in the celebration of this barbaric atrocity.
Africa4Palestine urges all diplomatic missions in South Africa to publicly distance themselves from this event, out of respect for basic human dignity and the sanctity of life. No one should be feasting while Palestinians are being mercilessly slaughtered.
We are deeply troubled by the continued presence of Israeli diplomats in South Africa, particularly after Israel recalled its ambassador following the South African Parliament’s overwhelming vote to suspend diplomatic ties last November. This suspension was in direct response to the ongoing brutal murders of Palestinians and Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land. Africa4Palestine will urgently inquire with relevant authorities about the legalities and appropriateness of the Israeli mission’s continued operations in South Africa.
In response to this vile event, Africa4Palestine is considering organizing a mass demonstration outside the Israeli mission on the day of the planned dinner. We are on high alert and committed to standing in solidarity with Palestine by any practical means necessary, rejecting any glorification of the ongoing genocide.
We call on all South Africans to stand with Palestine and resist this shameless attempt to normalize mass murder under the guise of diplomacy. This “dinner party” is an insult to justice and humanity, and it must be met with the full force of public outrage.
ISSUED BY ALIE KOMAPE ON BEHALF OF AFRICA4PALESTINE
Africa4Palestine Communications and Campaigns Manager, Alie Komape: +27 (0) 76 979 8801
