
President Cyril Ramaphosa urged South Africans on Monday not to allow the Israel-Gaza conflict to further exacerbate divisions.
Following clashes between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protests in Cape Town last week, this development ensued.
In his weekly letter, the president commented on this incident, describing it as “troubling and unacceptable.”
President Ramaphosa and the ANC have shown their support for Palestinians by expressing solidarity with them.
He said “support for the Palestinian struggle cannot be equated with antisemitism”.
Mr. Ramaphosa strongly criticized an Israeli newspaper that labeled his government’s support for the Palestinians as an indication of the country endorsing attacks on the South African Jewish community, denouncing it as unacceptable.
The letter emphasized the importance for South Africans to avoid turning against one another as the conflict continues to unfold.
South Africa lodged a referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israel’s government for its actions during the Gaza conflict last week.
Israel contends that its airstrikes and incursion into Gaza constitute acts of self-defense in response to the 7th October Hamas attack on Israel, resulting in over 1,200 casualties and the abduction of more than 230 individuals.