Im In Trouble With the Deputy Minister

In a recent public statement, Deputy DIRCO Minister Alvin Botes publicly and in Parliament criticized my article, highlighting the African National Congress’s (ANC) post-election abandonment of their keffiyehs – the scarves worn to show solidarity with Palestine. Minister Botes’ response not only missed the point but also provided a perfect example of the ANC’s opportunistic approach to international solidarity. It’s essential to dissect this situation to understand the implications of the ANC’s actions and their alignment with certain international causes.

During the election campaign, ANC leaders prominently wore keffiyehs, signaling solidarity with the Palestinian cause. This gesture, though symbolic, was intended to project an image of international solidarity and human rights advocacy. The sight of ANC officials draped in Palestinian flags and keffiyehs was so common that one might have thought the party had morphed into a branch of Hamas. However, this display of support was short-lived, disappearing almost as soon as the ballots were counted. The keffiyehs were neatly folded away, stored, or discarded, revealing the transient nature of the ANC’s support.

Deputy DIRCO Minister Alvin Botes recently mentioned the author in a public statement available on the South African Parliament’s YouTube channel. The Minister’s remarks were in response to an article criticizing the ANC’s inconsistent support for Palestinian solidarity, specifically noting the symbolic use of keffiyehs during election campaigns. This statement is freely accessible for viewing in the public domain.

In his statement, Minister Botes asserted that South Africa remains steadfast in its support for the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and in opposing what he termed Israeli apartheid and genocide. He took exception to statements made by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) National President, Zev Krengel, and my own article in The Times of Israel, mentioning me by name, which he claimed ridiculed South Africa’s stance on Palestine. Botes emphasized that South Africa’s solidarity with Palestine is embedded in the South African Constitution, which defines the country as a sovereign democratic state founded on the values of human dignity, equality, human rights, and non-racialism.

Firstly, it’s important to note that the ANC, with its 40% vote share, does not represent the views of all South Africans. The recent elections, where the ANC suffered one of its worst defeats in history, reflect a significant portion of the electorate rejecting their stance on Palestine. The ANC’s support for the Palestinian cause, which Botes claims is constitutionally backed, is not universally accepted by the South African populace. Many voters are more concerned with pressing domestic issues such as crime, corruption, unemployment, and failing infrastructure.

Ironically, when Minister Botes publicly called me out, he was not wearing a keffiyeh himself, further proving my point about the keffiyeh being used merely as an election prop. The keffiyeh’s sudden disappearance post-election suggests that its use was more about garnering votes than genuine solidarity. The ANC’s propensity for political theatrics becomes evident when the scarves are packed away, and the fervent rhetoric is replaced by a deafening silence. Funny how a garment has warranted a public mention in Parliament?

Minister Botes’ statement referenced the South African Constitution’s commitment to human dignity, equality, and human rights. Yet, the ANC’s support for groups like Hamas, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Fatah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) raises serious questions about the consistency of this commitment. These groups have well-documented histories of terrorism and human rights abuses. For instance, Hamas has carried out numerous terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and military targets, including suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and shootings. The 2002 bombing of the Park Hotel in Netanya, which killed 32 people and injured over 140, several of whom were Holocaust survivors as they gathered in celebration of freedom itself for Passover. October 7th is one of the deadliest examples of terrorism committed by Hamas in Israel’s history. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented severe human rights abuses within Gaza, including torture and extrajudicial killings by Hamas.

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The ANC’s alignment with these designated terror organizations is troubling, given their track record. The ANC entertained garbage statements by Hamas members that deceptively denied that they killed innocent women and children in their October 7 attack on Israel. “There is no such evidence. If the media has such evidence, we would be happy to review it and respond,” Emad Saber, Hamas’s representative in South Africa, said dishonestly. On May 10, 2024, Canada announced that four individuals were added to the Special Economic Measures (Hamas Terrorist Attacks) Regulations (the “Regulations”). The amended Regulations entered into force on May 9, 2024. One of the newly listed individuals was Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas’s representative to Iran. The Regulations impose a dealings prohibition against the individuals listed, effectively freezing any assets they hold in Canada. Qaddoumi notably is regularly in South Africa meeting with ANC officials. For what purpose? Seeing as the Palestinian Authority already has a representative in South Africa? Qaddoumi, on South African national television, denied that any of the 242 hostages taken by Hamas were children, another blatant lie. Perhaps the Deputy Minister, in his next meeting with Qaddoumi, should refer to video footage taken by Hamas themselves.

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The above mentioned terror organizations have been involved in some form of terror activity, including assassinations, plane hijackings, and soft target terror attacks against civilians in schools and places of worship. The PFLP is not only notorious for targeted killings but also for making use of humanitarian NGOs as a deceptive method of lawfare and propaganda.

Supporting such entities contradicts the values of human dignity, equality, and human rights that Minister Botes claims to uphold.

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Iran, a country that has created, funded, and supported several Palestinian terror factions, is supported by the ANC. It is notable that Iran itself has a notorious record of human rights abuses. The Iranian regime has been criticized globally for its suppression of dissent, discrimination against women and minorities, and harsh punishments such as executions for crimes including political dissent and homosexuality. The regime’s crackdown on protests, such as the 2009 Green Movement and more recent demonstrations, has led to numerous deaths and widespread arbitrary detentions. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have extensively documented these abuses, highlighting the regime’s disregard for basic human rights and freedoms. Supporting a regime with such a dismal human rights record is in stark contrast to the values of human dignity and equality that South Africa’s Constitution champions.

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Mr. Minister, your support of Palestine is amicable; however, the ANC’s foreign policy cannot disguise its obvious support for terror.

It’s crucial to distinguish between the ANC and the South African people. My article critiqued the ANC’s actions, not the sentiments of all South Africans. The ANC’s temporary embrace of Palestinian solidarity was a political strategy, not a genuine commitment to human rights. The voters saw through this façade, and the election results reflected their disapproval. The ANC’s pivot away from Palestine post-elections underscores the performative nature of their pre-election support.

The ANC’s keffiyeh conundrum highlights the party’s propensity for political theatrics and opportunistic alliances. The Honorable Minister Botes’ response, while attempting to defend the ANC’s stance, inadvertently reinforced the criticism that the party’s solidarity with Palestine was more about electioneering than genuine advocacy. The ANC’s alignment with terror groups further undermines their claims of supporting human rights and non-racialism.

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South Africans deserve leaders who are genuinely committed to addressing both domestic and international human rights issues with integrity. The ANC’s actions during the election campaign and their subsequent behavior post-election suggest that their priorities lie more in retaining power than in upholding the values enshrined in the Constitution. It’s time for the ANC to move beyond political posturing and demonstrate real, consistent support for human rights, both within South Africa and beyond its borders. Until then, the keffiyehs will remain packed away, symbols of fleeting, opportunistic solidarity, only to be unpacked when the suffering of the Palestinian people or criticism and antisemitism against Israel seek to benefit the ANC.