Crowds gathered in front of the Israeli Embassy as Julius Malema, renewed calls for the closure of the embassy and urged retailers to stop selling Israeli goods.
Monday marked the 17th day of the latest Israel-Hamas war that has left thousands of dead.
“When you are oppressed, the only option you have is to fight, and that’s what Hamas is doing”, Malema said.
“They are fighting for their freedom, Mandela did the same thing, took up the guns and fought for the freedom of the people of South Africa, when you are oppressed, you only have one option.”
“Israel has to be stopped so that when an agreement is reached , of two state solution, they are committed to it, and they will not continue to expand their territories into Palestinian’s territory illegally,” Julius Malema said.
The ruling (ANC) held a similar picket outside Israel’s embassy on Friday (Oct. 20).
President Cyril Ramaphosa called Saturday (Oct. 21) for a United Nations-led negotiation process towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, when speaking at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.
A wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations have swept across North Africa in recent days in response to the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through a rainy London on Saturday (Oct. 21) to demand Israel stop its bombardment of Gaza, and similar calls were heard in cities around the world
The war has raised tensions around the world, with both Jewish and Muslim communities feeling under threat.
Israel continued to bombard targets in Gaza on Saturday (Oct. 21) ahead of an expected ground offensive. A small measure of relief came when 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid were allowed to enter Gaza across the southern Rafah border crossing with Egypt.