The South African Palestinian solidarity movement has unequivocally denounced the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) “campaign of brutalisation and murder” of the Palestinian population of Gaza. In the past 24 hours the IDF has murdered 27 Palestinians and injured scores more.

On Wednesday, pro-Palestinian activists from the anti-war lobby group War Resisters International will picket outside Parliament at 4pm. As global outrage grows louder on social media, locally, condemnation has poured in from many organisations, such as the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), Media Review Network (MRN), Al Quds Foundation, Palestine Solidarity Alliance, CAGE South Africa and Muslim Students Association (MSA).

In a joint statement, the organisations said IDF had put forth a pretext to stem the acts of resistance in the form of rockets from the besieged coastal sliver. A similar pretext was used to launch Operation Cast Lead in which 1400 Palestinians were massacred.

“Yet the primary reason for these gladiatorial orgies of bloodletting of innocents is the Israeli regime’s insatiable thirst for brutality. The Apartheid regime fails to acknowledge the true origins of the resistance, which is the occupation of all of Palestine.”

Gaza has been the testing ground for Israeli weapons systems, the Dense Inert Metal Explosive (DIME) during Cast Lead and Iron Dome rocket interceptor systems in Operation Pillar of Cloud.

“This bears testimony to the hooliganism of the Apartheid Zionist regime in their conduct toward Palestinians viewing their lives as nothing more than test subjects. Cowardly acts of administrative detentions, house raids, brutality and murder unleashed on the Palestinians of the West Bank whilst simultaneously bombarding the Gaza is the hallmark of Zionist aggression.

“Implementing the policy of collective punishment as revenge for the death of three settler teens from the illegal settlement of Gush Etzion in the West Bank evidences Israelis disproportionate use of force prohibited by International Law. Furthermore, despite the Zionist’s attempt to create grounds for self-defence, the Apartheid regime conveniently ignores the inalienable right of occupied peoples to resist the occupying entity.”

The organisations said it lend its unequivocal support to the Palestinian people as they face the military nuclear power of Israel with no official military of their own.

“We honour the martyrs and their resistance, remain in awe of their resilience and convey our condolences to the families of the martyrs. As South Africans, having experienced Apartheid, we express our revulsion and repugnance at the occupation, bombardment and bloodletting of the Israeli regime.

“At the height of Apartheid in South Africa, such brutality was not experienced. We have never witnessed the bombardment of Soweto as Israel is currently doing with Gaza. We shall never forget Israel’s close ties with the Apartheid Regime that enabled the oppression and subjugation of the ‘black’ people of this land.”

The bodies also called for the immediate expulsion of the Zionist envoy, Arthur Lenk. It further said the South African government should sever all ties with Zionist entity, in the light of their continuous and systematic murder of the innocent.

“To those that support the Zionist Apartheid entity, be warned that our effort will be intensified and isolation will be a reality through BDS should this entity continue on its barbaric Apartheid path. To the South Africans serving in the IDF, let it be known that justice will be served via the law as was done when your colleagues butchered those on the Mavi Marmara.

“We call on the South African authorities to withdraw opposition to the Gaza Docket and investigate and prosecute the South African citizens conscripted to a foreign military force, in this case the Zionist Defence force. Let this be a warning that we will never remain silent in the face of naked Zionist Apartheid aggression.” VOC