GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
25 October 2023
Western voices calling for a ceasefire and dialogue to resolve the present crisis in the Holy Land appear to be on mute. This is indicative of a worldview that continues to regard Muslims, in this instance, and people of colour in general, as expendable.
It is a view that creates an enabling environment for Israel to exact collective vengeance against all Gazan people in response to Hamas’ 7 October attack on Israeli civilians – despite the overwhelming majority of Gazans having absolutely nothing to do with the attack.
With Gaza presently under military blockade, its people deprived of basic services, fuel, medicines and food, Israel has its knee on the throats of millions of innocent Palestinians.
The stark choice they are being offered, while being suffocated, is death or forced removal.
Israel doesn’t call it vengeance; it calls it exacting collective responsibility. The level of violence exceeds that of apartheid South Africa where, vile as they were, the authorities stopped short of carpet bombing ghettoes they created.
As South Africans we have particular empathy with Palestinians with respect to the inter-generational disruption, pain and indignity of forced removals.
Many Gazans have been forcibly removed before. Their estrangement from their land mirrors the experience of South Africans of colour.
The GOOD Party calls on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to raise his voice and use his influence to champion an immediate ceasefire, and dialogue.
Dialogue, to stop short-term violence but, also, resolve long-term injustices, such as illegal land occupations. Dialogue that isn’t led by extremists – on either side of the fence. Dialogue, preferably, to revive the so-called two state solution.
Forcibly removing the people of Gaza should not be an option. The only option should be for Israel to stop its outrageous bombing of residential neighbourhoods of Gaza. The people of Gaza must be allowed to breathe; they need basic services and safe passage for emergency relief, including fuel and food.
The people of Gaza and Israel have equal rights to peace.
Peace is not delivered through the barrel of US armaments, the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, among others, could attest.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 082 518 3264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za