East
28 May 2007
Pretoria: South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad today Monday, 28
May 2007 expressed his deep concern about the reports on 25 May 2007 of Israeli
military forces attacking various Palestinian cities and towns and the arrests
of 41 Palestinians, including the Minister of Education, Dr Alshare, members of
the Legislative Council, mayors and ordinary citizens.
Deputy Minister Pahad said such actions, as well as Israel's rejection of
the Palestinian offer of a comprehensive, reciprocal ceasefire; its withholding
of Palestinian tax revenues for more then a year; its undermining of the
Palestinian National Authority (PNA) security forces; and the destruction of
several civil society and security institutions, will only further inflame the
situation, which will make it very difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated
solution. This will seriously threaten regional stability and international
peace and security. He called on the Israeli military to stop its excessive
military actions and create the necessary climate for negotiations to take
place.
At the same time, the Deputy Minister also called for an end to all
Palestinian rocket attacks into Israel, adding that such attacks were
detrimental to the aspirations of the Palestinian people, strongly supported by
South Africa, for the establishment of a viable Palestinian State, existing
side by side in peace with Israel, within internationally recognised borders.
Such rocket attacks only serve as pretext for massive Israeli actions against
the Palestinians.
The Deputy Minister called on the international community to act decisively
to end the violence and to intensify efforts to find a long term negotiated
solution.
For further information, please contact:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
28 May 2007
