Gaza
21 December 2006
Pretoria: The South African Government is deeply concerned about the growing
violence in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian people have struggled and
sacrificed for many years to achieve peace and security.
This current cycle of violence is counter-productive to the interests of the
Palestinian people in their endeavours to achieve an independent state of
Palestine living side by side with Israel. This violence also increasingly
threatens regional and international peace and security.
On the eve of South Africaâs democracy we experienced and were engulfed in
so-called "Black on Black violence". This was soon exposed as a strategy by the
apartheid regime to destabilise efforts to move towards democracy.
The African National Congress (ANC) was able to defeat this strategy by
remaining focussed on achieving peace, security, stability and democracy for
all South Africans.
The South African Government calls on the Palestinian leadership to remain
seized with working for the greater good of all Palestinian people and guard
against counter-revolutionary tactics.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
21 December 2006
