In spite of the heckling of large numbers of uneasy parliamentarians who were aiming at either shutting their ears hearing or stopping Rev. Kenneth Meshoe, a fellow member, from delivering an unprecedented speech at the State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2024 Debate, the world received some hard facts.
Meshoe, leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), one of the political parties represented at the day’s proceeding at the Cape’s city hall did not mince words at warning President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of having crossed the sacred red line against the state of Israel.
In the Reverend’s scripturally weighed pronouncements under the watch of keen observers and the world media, he let the president and parliamentarians know that the actions against Israel stand to incur the anger of God. It was like a puritan presenting to the sinner the divine judgment that awaits an unrepentant attitude.
For many who have been wondering, ‘who will tell it to their faces’ that they have cut the helm of God’s garment by their actions against the children of Jacob (Israel) according to the Scriptures, Meshoe made their day at his SONA Debate outing.
Path to peace in Israel-Gaza crisis
While expressing ACDP’s sadness at the loss of innocent lives and destruction of property in Gaza, Meshoe told the House why it does not believe the government’s effort will yield any lasting truce or stop the hostilities in Gaza.
Rev. Meshoe was blunt in letting the president, the ANC-led parliament and the international community that this war can be brought to an end in three weeks or a month if the following can be done:
• Prevail on Hamas to release all the remaining hostages hidden in their tunnels
• Order Hamas to destroy all tunnels under Gaza, particularly those leading into Israel and
• The right of the state of Israel to exist within safe and secure borders must be accepted.
He argued that there can be no true peace and a possible two-state scenario being canvassed by many across the world if Hamas continue to insist that Israel cannot be. Taking Israel to the ICJ, Meshoe opined, would not improve the situation there.
In a dramatic development at the House, the Reverend reminded the ANC that Isaiah 54 verse 17 of the Holy Scriptures says, ‘No weapon that is formed against Israel shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against it in judgment shall be condemned…’
He said, ‘ANC, you have gone too far, and judgment is concluded. When the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) said He will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse her, He was not joking; God meant every word. You have invited the curse on yourselves, and you are going to get it.”
SA diplomatic ties
Relationship between SA and Israel has been neither here nor there over the past few decades, perhaps best described as less than cordial in light of the present diplomatic challenges. The days of ANC militancy in the dark era of Apartheid regime in SA drew the organization closer to the Soviet Union which was training and equipping its youth wing in the art of armed struggle at the time. That relationship, expectedly so, has been sustained all this while.
Perhaps, it will not be far-fetched to deduce that this SA connection was responsible for causing it to remain detached on the floor of the UN Security council when nations were taking positions against Russia after it attacked Ukraine in February 2022. Nothing genocidal was seen in Russia’s action against thousands of Ukrainian civilians including mothers and babies bombed in maternity hospitals, the elderly and children. Two years on, the slaughter is still on-going with no sign of an end to the bloodbath.
The BRICS effect.
Cushioned in the seeming comfort of some of his BRICS founding partners, Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, President Ramaphosa made an unusual strong showing of accusing Israel of actions that equate genocide in Gaza. The president said Israel has committed what can be regarded as war crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza during a virtual meeting of BRICS leaders and those of other developing countries. On the heels of this meeting, the President got the nod from the parliament which was also being nudged to approving the diplomatic spat and subsequent filing of charges against the state of Israel at the ICJ.
Ramaphosa said, "The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime… the deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food, and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide." That was the elevated definition of genocide that the SA president propounded to tickle the fancy of students of international relations.
Although, he did not let Hamas, the militant arm of the Palestinians, go without condemning their planned attack against Israel, cutting short the lives of defenceless citizens including babies was not considered genocide.
However, adept at playing the diplomatic game at different levels for long, Russia and China were more tactical. In light of the watchful and opposing West, Russia’s Putin, who invaded Ukraine and wedged war against Ukraine two years ago, and China’s Jingping carefully called for a cease-fire. They also urged a release of civilian hostages.
The world waits the unfolding of the judgment pronounced at SONA 2024 Debate by Reverend Meshoe, who is party leader, ACDP and member, Committee on International Relations and Cooperation and Committee on Police of the SA parliament.
