President Cyril Ramaphosa Compares Israel to an 'Apartheid State'
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has likened Israel to an apartheid-style state
- The South African president made the comparison on his visit to France to attend the Financing African Countries Summit
- Ramaphosa said that the South African government supports the plight of the Palestinian people
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President Cyril Ramaphosa is in France for the Financing African Countries Summit. It was there that he spoke to France24 and compared Israel to an 'apartheid state.'
Ramaphosa said that the manner in which Israel had 'unleashed terror' on the Palestinian people could be compared to an apartheid-type state.
Source: UGC
He said that the way in which the Israeli army had removed people from their homes and mistreated them reminded many South Africans of terrible times.
He added that this made the struggle of the Palestinian people 'very close to our hearts.'
Ramaphosa repeated the sentiments expressed by DIRCO and said that the South African government supports Palestine and their desire for self-determination.
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The South African president said that many thought the fight against apartheid was impossible to win. However, the South African people proved that it could be done and he said that peace in the Middle East is also possible.
Ramaphosa's trip to France has offered the French President Emmanuel Macron the opportunity to make his own state visit to South Africa which, is scheduled to take place later in May according to The South African.
Earlier, Briefly News reported that in his weekly letter, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has lamented the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, saying it brings back sad memories.
As the letter was released on Monday, the president spoke out on the escalating situation between Israel and Palestine.
Ramaphosa said South Africans know too well that intractable conflicts can only be solved through peaceful negotiation. He said, as quoted by The South African:
“It also demonstrates that unless the root causes of a conflict are addressed, in this case, the illegal occupation by Israel of Palestinian land and the denial of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, there will never be peace.”
In other news, the South African government has spoken out against the violence in Gaza and has slammed the Israeli government for what it calls its "unjust attacks on civilians".
The government believes some of the attacks can be considered crimes against humanity and should be investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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Source: Briefly News
