“The ANC government overreacted by withdrawing South Africa’s ambassador to Israel and by doing this the government has already chosen sides with regard to the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” says Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader.
In a statement Groenewald says there are always two sides to a story and Israel must not be blindly condemned before the South African government has heard all the facts from both sides.
“South Africa may still have had a chance to play a reconciliatory role and to help find a solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, but now the government has totally destroyed that opportunity.
“If the South African government really does want to make a valuable contribution, it must keep its ambassador in Israel so that it can keep up with what is happening and make informed decisions based on that knowledge.
“Israel’s sovereignty and its right to defend itself must also be recognised, just as with any other country in the world. The ANC must not allow its historical past to affect its objective outlook on events,” Groenewald says.
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