'SA won't break ties with Israel'

2006-07-12 14:01

Pretoria - South Africa was not planning to break diplomatic ties with Israel and calls to do so could not be taken seriously, deputy minister of foreign affairs Aziz Pahad said on Wednesday.

"As government we cannot do symbolic things such as the breaking of diplomatic relations and boycotts and isolation under chapter seven of the United Nations [charter], we believe this would not achieve much," Pahad said.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions and other organisations supporting Palestine on Tuesday called on the government to end diplomatic relations with Israel and establish boycotts and sanctions.

"We believe it's more important for those making such calls to consistently be involved with the peace process in the Middle East and therefore deal more consistently with this issue..." Pahad said.

He said if organisations including the Palestinian Solidarity Committee and the South African Communist Party wanted to be taken seriously, they had to discuss the matter with the government and the African National Congress leadership first.

"They have not made any preparation for such calls, indeed calls like this coming without any discussion or any preparation I believe we can not treat very seriously," said Pahad.

At least 60 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have now been killed since Israel stepped up its massive ground assault into Gaza last Wednesday. This in a bid to secure the release of a captured teenage soldier, French press agency AFP reported.

The international community, including South Africa, has condemned the country's continued military action.

Pahad called on Israel to stop the assault and on the Palestinians to release the captured Israeli soldier.

He said although South Africa was "very concerned", especially about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Palestine, it would not break its ties with Israel.

"Our having diplomatic relations enables us to interact with both the Israelis and the Palestinians and indeed the international community to see if we can help bring stability," he said.

- SAPA