By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Members of Parliament have voted in favour of closing the Israeli embassy in South Africa, paving the way for the cutting of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Though the motion was supported by the majority of members in the 400-seat National Assembly on Tuesday, chair for committees, Cedric Frolick, who chaired the session, warned that according to law the resolution passed is “politically persuasive rather than instructive” to the government.
This comes after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) tabled the motion last week.
Israel launched a brutal counter-offensive in Gaza following the attacks by Hamas militants on 7 October. Israel has come under criticism for its bombing of hospitals and schools, with many women and children becoming casualties.
The motion was voted by 248 votes for motion and 91 against it.
It was supported by the African National Congress (ANC), the National Freedom Party (NFP), Al-Jamah, the African Transformation Movement (ATM), the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC).
The 91 MPs from the DA, IFP, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) opposed the motion.
EFF welcomed the results of the vote in Parliament.
“We welcome the resolution in light of the continued annexation of Palestinian land, killing of women and children in Gaza, construction of settler-houses on Palestinian land, land dispossession and bombing of hospitals in Gaza, all by apartheid-Israel.”
The motion was debated in Parliament last week. The NFP, Al Jamah-ah and the Good party backed the red berets’ motion while the DA, IFP, ACDP and FF+ rejected it.
In motivating for the amendment to the motion, ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina took issue with members of the opposition benches who were against the removal of the Israeli embassy.
Majodina said it was not surprising that the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, and the African Christian Democratic Party would vote against the motion.
On Monday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, for consultations following what it referred to as the “latest statements from South Africa”.
The move to recall Belotserkovsky comes after he was démarched by government over his remarks about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has, according to the Hamas-led health ministry, killed 13 000 people. Thousands are injured are millions have been displaced.
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Video Courtesy of Parliament.